Arsenal will host Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night, with the Gunners aiming to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the third time in five years
Arsenal could be in for a stroke of luck ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Crystal Palace, as the Eagles grapple with a growing injury list.
The Gunners are set to welcome Oliver Glasner‘s squad to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, with a coveted semi-final spot at stake. Arsenal have made it to the semi-finals twice in the past five years, but haven’t tasted the final since 2018.
By contrast, Palace had a triumphant run in the FA Cup last season, lifting the trophy, but their Carabao Cup journey has been less fruitful. They were shown the exit door at this stage last season by none other than Arsenal and haven’t seen the semi-finals since 2012.
Both teams were in Premier League action on Saturday night, with Arsenal scraping a 1-0 victory at Everton thanks to a Viktor Gyokeres penalty, while Palace suffered a defeat at Leeds United.
READ MORE: Man Utd handed Bruno Fernandes injury blow as hobbling star forced offREAD MORE: Arsenal given new penalty verdict after Everton controversy – ‘I don’t think it’s difficult’
The quick turnaround to Tuesday’s match will be a challenge for both sides, but particularly for Palace who are dealing with an escalating injury crisis. The defeat at Elland Road was just the first blow for Glasner this weekend, with potential squad availability issues adding to his woes, reports Football London.
To add to Palace’s troubles, they’ll be without Ismalia Sarr due to his commitments at the Africa Cup of Nations. He and his Senegal team will kick off their campaign against Botswana on Tuesday.
Defender Daniel Munoz remains out of action with a knee problem that needs surgical intervention. He won’t be available until the end of January at the earliest, ruling him out of Tuesday evening’s clash.
Glasner informed reporters earlier this month: “It’s bad news. We will miss Dani for a few weeks and he will undergo surgery. The prognosis is four to six weeks, then he should be ready to play. But always, when you undergo surgery, you never know. We are always cautious. It doesn’t look so serious.”
Palace are also carefully monitoring striker Jean-Philippe Mateta’s condition, as he’s been battling a knee problem in recent weeks. Whilst he did appear in the loss to Leeds, he was withdrawn with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The quick fixture schedule could present Glasner with a dilemma ahead of Tuesday’s match, particularly as the French forward has been playing whilst carrying discomfort and his game time is being carefully controlled. His availability for the Arsenal encounter remains uncertain, but any potential omission would represent a significant setback for the Eagles.
Adding to Palace’s woes, Daichi Kamada is also unavailable for the coming weeks. The midfielder picked up a severe hamstring injury earlier this month and faces several weeks on the sidelines, meaning he has no chance of facing the Gunners.
Arsenal are naturally dealing with their own injury headaches. Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White and Gabriel currently represent their defensive fitness concerns.
