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Smith Rowe, Odegaard and Tomiyasu ruled out of Liverpool trip

By on January 13, 2022

emile smith rowe arsenal

According to Goal, Arsenal have been dealt a major triple injury blow with Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu all ruled out of tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool.

Arsenal head to Anfield for the first leg of the semi-final tie this evening but will have to make do without Smith Rowe as the attacker has failed to overcome a niggling groin issue that he’s been carrying in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old missed Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round last weekend and Goal claims Smith Rowe hasn’t recovered in time to make the trip to Anfield.

In a significant double blow, the report says Odegaard has also been ruled out after missing training on Wednesday with an unspecified injury issue. Goal says Odegaard wasn’t among the squad that left for Merseyside so Arteta is going to be without his two main playmakers against Liverpool.

Odegaard has been one of Arsenal’s best players in recent weeks and won the December Player of the Month so it’s a major disappointment that he won’t be involved in tonight’s semi-final first leg.

Arsenal also have problems at right-back as Goal says Tomiyasu has failed to recover from a calf injury that kept him out of the Nottingham Forest defeat last Sunday evening.

Tomiyasu has been superb since arriving last summer and it will be a huge downgrade for whoever comes in tonight. Cedric Soares started at right-back against Forest but was woeful so it will be interesting to see who Arteta opts for against Liverpool.

Smith Rowe, Odegaard and Tomiyasu join Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Mo Elneny [all AFCON] in missing tonight’s game so Arsenal are without at least seven senior players.

Maybe Arsenal should follow Liverpool’s lead and have a sudden ‘outbreak’ of ‘suspected’ covid cases in order to get the game called off?

There is some good news though as Goal says Granit Xhaka should be involved after missing the Forest game due to covid. However, even with Xhaka back in the side, it’s difficult to see Arsenal putting out a competitive line-up considering the amount of absentees in midfield and attack.

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