Mikel Arteta confirmed Arsenal will be without teenager Ethan Nwaneri for “a few weeks” after he picked up a muscle injury against Brighton.
The 17-year-old scored in the Gunners' opener in a 1-1 draw on Saturday, but was taken off at half-time due to the problem.
Nwaneri's 16th-minute strike made him become just the sixth player to score more than one Premier League goal before turning 18 (two), after Wayne Rooney (seven), Michael Owen (five), Danny Cadamarteri ( three), James Milner (three) and Federico Macheda (two).
In total, he has made 18 appearances for Arsenal's first team this season, starting six of them, including the last two in a row, and scoring five goals in all competitions.
However, he will not feature in Tuesday's upcoming EFL Cup semi-final against Newcastle United.
“Unfortunately, he [Nwaneri] has suffered an injury and will be out for a few weeks,” Arteta said at a press conference. “It is a muscle injury.”
6+1 – Ethan Nwaneri (2 goals) became only the sixth player to score more than one Premier League goal before turning 18, after Wayne Rooney (7), Michael Owen (5), Danny Cadamarteri (3), James Milner (3) and Federico Macheda (2), and the first to do so for Arsenal… pic.twitter.com/ecuruNKeeu
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 4, 2025
Kai Havertz, meanwhile, could return to action on Tuesday after missing Arsenal's last two games due to illness.
The German has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season, including two in the EFL Cup, and could be crucial when he returns as Arsenal look to score more than three goals in four consecutive games in the competition for the first time.
“I hope so,” Arteta said of Havertz's availability. “But I don't want to say yes because last time I said he would be fit and he wasn't.”
Arsenal will face the in-form Alexander Isak, who scored Newcastle's winner against them in the Premier League earlier this season.
The Swede has scored in seven consecutive Premier League games and Arteta acknowledged they would have to stop him to be successful.
“Obviously he is a top player, he is in top form,” he added.
“He scores a lot of goals. He tries to minimize the opponent's strength.”
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