Odegaard, Calafiori, Havertz among Arsenal players struggling with injuries

The Gunners were dealt a blow before kick-off when Riccardo Calafiori was ruled out after the warm-up, despite being named in the starting line-up at left-back. Bukayo Saka was drafted in as a late replacement.

It is the second time this season Calafiori has withdrawn at the last moment, having previously suffered an issue before the Brighton match in December.

Ben White, making a rare start, impressed but was forced off with 10 minutes remaining. He was later seen sitting on the bench, suggesting the problem may not be serious.

Asked about Calafiori and White, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: "Yeah, him and Ben [White] are the only doubts. We have to wait and see in the next 48 hours how things develop."

There are also fresh doubts over captain Martin Odegaard, who missed the Wigan tie after sustaining a knee issue in the 1-1 draw at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium, despite completing the full 90 minutes.

"With Martin, we'll have to wait and see. He picked that knock on the action when we conceded the goal and he wasn't fit for today," said Arteta.

Kai Havertz remains sidelined for several weeks with a muscular problem and is expected to miss upcoming matches against Wolves and Tottenham.

Arteta stated: "After the game we played against Sunderland, Kai felt a little niggle, so we need to wait and see how long he will be out."