Arsenal injury news: Saliba and Martinelli ruled out of League Cup match against Brighton

Arsenal centre-back William Saliba and winger Gabriel Martinelli will miss Wednesday’s League Cup fourth round against Brighton & Hove Albion due to injuries, manager Mikel Arteta said on Tuesday.

France international Saliba was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera at half-time in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium, with Brazilian Martinelli limping off the pitch after the final whistle.

Midfielder Declan Rice and defender Riccardo Calafiori also suffered knocks against Palace but were deemed fit to face Brighton. Winger Bukayo Saka, who was withdrawn from the match due to illness, is also available for selection.

«He (Saliba) is out (against Brighton). We are assessing him but he will not be involved in this match,» Arteta told reporters, without giving a timeline for the 24-year-old’s return.

Discussing Martinelli’s condition, Arteta said: «It looks like he will be out. We still need to do some tests to determine the extent of the injury, but this match will be too early for him.»

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Arsenal, who sit at the top of the Premier League table with 22 points from nine games, have the squad to deal with the injuries.

The north London side again recruited heavily during the close season, adding centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres and further strengthening the attack with Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, while also signing defender Mosquera.

Asked whether the depth of the squad helps him to be more relaxed, Arteta said: «That word relaxed in football is impossible. We are going to try to manage the minutes and the load as best as possible.»

The Spaniard added that injuries in the attacking line have created challenges.

«Gabby (Gabriel Jesus) out, Kai (Havertz) out, Martinelli and Noni (Madueke) out. We have to be more careful because we don’t have many options,» Arteta added.

Arsenal, who have won the League Cup twice, enjoyed their most recent victory in 1993 and look set to continue their impressive start to the season when they host Brighton, who are 13th in the Premier League.

Published on October 28, 2025