Arsenal Debut Imminent As Key Player Ruled Out Of Squad For Leicester Clash

Arsenal Debut Imminent As Key Player Ruled Out Of Squad For Leicester Clash

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was reportedly absent from the squad at the team hotel ahead of their Premier League clash with Leicester City. The former Brentford shot-stopper raised eyebrows during last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City when he went down late in the game, with some speculating it was a time-wasting tactic.

However, Raya was later seen limping past reporters, confirming the injury was legitimate. He missed Arsenal’s midweek 5-1 EFL Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers.

With Raya sidelined, Neto ineligible, and Tommy Setford also dealing with an injury, Mikel Arteta had no choice but to field 16-year-old Jack Porter in the cup tie. When asked if Raya would return for the Leicester fixture, Arteta gave little away.

It now seems Arsenal will once again be without their first-choice goalkeeper, as Arsenal reporter Connor Humm revealed Raya was not seen arriving with the squad.

Could Neto be set for his Arsenal debut against Leicester?

As a result, Bournemouth loanee Neto is expected to make his first appearance for Arsenal when they face Steve Cooper’s side, having missed the Bolton match due to being cup-tied.

In Friday’s pre-game press conference, Mikel Arteta expressed his confidence in the experienced Brazilian, hinting that Neto could be given his Arsenal debut on Saturday. When asked why he targeted Neto, Arteta explained: “We had to act quickly after Aaron [Ramsdale]’s departure, and Neto had been on our radar for a few years. He’s played at the highest level in various countries and roles, always performing well. He was the right choice because of his Premier League experience and reliability to step in at any moment.”

While it seems Raya will be unavailable this weekend, Arsenal reporter Connor Humm provided more positive news about Ben White, who was spotted with the rest of the squad at the team hotel.

England international Ben White was also absent from the squad for Arsenal’s dominant win over Bolton, having played just 45 minutes in the draw with Manchester City. Initially benched due to a fitness issue, White was called into action earlier than planned after Leandro Trossard’s red card forced Mikel Arteta to replace Bukayo Saka with an extra defender.

Who else is unavailable for the Leicester clash?

If David Raya is indeed ruled out, he would be one of six confirmed Arsenal absentees for tomorrow’s match. Martin Odegaard (ankle), Mikel Merino (shoulder), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Kieran Tierney (hamstring), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) are all sidelined.

However, there’s some positive news, as Arteta revealed on Friday that both Tomiyasu and Merino have returned to partial training, with Merino potentially making his debut in next week’s match against Southampton.

Additionally, Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly are expected to be available for the Leicester game despite picking up minor knocks against Manchester City and Bolton, respectively.