Kai Havertz, it was believed, had recovered well enough from his unspecified illness to feature this weekend. However, the German midfielder/forward was not passed fit, and he did not make the squad for the score draw at Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday. Will Kai Havertz feature on Tuesday night in the League Cup semifinal against Newcastle?
For now, I think we need to put the former Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen man in the “doubt” category.
Arsenal vs Newcastle United FYIs
Competition: EFL Cup semi-final, Leg 1/2
Kick: Tue. Jan. 7, 8pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Arsenal Newcastle United
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal Newcastle United
How They Got Here:
Arsenal- Quarterfinals: Crystal Palace 3-2, Round of 16: Preston 3-0, Third Round: Bolton 5-1
Newcastle United- Quarterfinals: Brentford 3-1, Round of 16: Chelsea 32-0, Third Round: AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Second Round: Nottm Forest 1-1 (4-3 penalties)
Arsenal Team News
Elsewhere Ethan Nwaneri provided the only goal for the Gunners yesterday, as he scored in the 16′. However, his special day came with a price unfortunately. He has since suffered an unspecified muscular injury, and no return timeline has been set. The good news is that Jurrien Timber has finished serving his suspension and will be available again here.
Otherwise there are no changes to the fitness situation. Raheem Sterling, Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sideline due to long-term injuries.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.