Arteta is keeping his cards close to his chest as injury-hit Arsenal eye the FA Cup semi-final

Arsenal will be without injured England striker Noni Madueke when they face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, but Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber could return from injury, manager Mikel Arteta said.

Madueke was one of 11 Arsenal players to withdraw from international duty last month due to injuries and fitness issues as the club eyes its first Premier League title since 2004.

«When you have to communicate the condition of each player, we are always honest and a medical decision had to be made. That was clearly what the conclusion was,» Arteta told reporters on Friday.

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«It makes us so proud that we had so many players in the national team. Players are desperate to play for their country. I know how important it is for them. We fully support that and when we can do it, we will.»

Madueke suffered a knee injury during the friendly match between England and Uruguay and missed the match against Japan. But Arteta said his condition was not as bad as a knee injury that kept him out for six weeks.

Martin Zubimendi, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Timber, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were all unavailable for their respective countries.

Arteta did not reveal how many of them will be available for Saturday’s match as Arsenal look to make up for last month’s League Cup final loss to Manchester City with a return to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals.

“We are currently in a position where we have to build the strongest line-up possible to win every competition,” he said. Lihat juga mps3ds. “We are still two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us.”

Published on April 3, 2026