Arsenal have provided an update on the team news ahead of their FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday and the Emirates club have some injury concerns going into the game.
The North London club ended their Premier League campaign with a 3-2 win over Watford which pushed them to eighth place in the points table. However, they will have to win the FA Cup to qualify for next season’s Europa League.
Chelsea will come into the game full of confidence after they confirmed their participation in next season’s Champions League with a victory over Wolves. It will be a tough game for the Emirates club and here is the team news for the game.
Hector Bellerin was left out of the Watford game due to a calf problem, but the club confirmed that the defender returned to training and will be available. Apart from him, there are the usual absentees who are out for a longer period. These include Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli and Bernd Leno. The German keeper has returned to training but will not be fit enough for the final.
The other big absentee will be Shkodran Mustafi who injured his hamstring in the FA Cup semi final against Manchester City. He is expected to be out until October and that is a big blow as he has been hugely impressive under Arteta. Changes will have to be made within the team in order to make up for his absence.
This has been a tough campaign for the Gunners, but they will be hoping to end the season with some silverware. It will be a big shot in the arm for Arteta if he is able to win a trophy in his first season as a manager while his Chelsea counterpart Frank Lampard will also be on the lookout for his first trophy.
The game has more significance for the Gunners as a win would result in European football returning to the Emirates next season and this would be a huge boost in Arteta’s quest to improve the squad. Fans will be hoping that Arsenal can repeat their 2017 FA Cup final heroics where the North Londoners emerged victorious in this same match-up.
FA Cup Final FYIs
Kickoff: Aug. 1, Wembley Stadium, 5:30 pm
Team News: Arsenal Chelsea
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal Chelsea
Head to Head: Arsenal wins 76 Draws 59 Chelsea wins 65
TV/Stream: Sky Sports/Sky Go (UK) None/ESPN+ (U.S.)
Odds: Arsenal win 5/2 Chelsea win 5/4