REPORT 🚨Mikel Arteta confirms three Arsenal stars will miss Newcastle clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has ruled out three players for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle United

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard, and Takehiro Tomiyasu will be unavailable for Saturday’s Premier League showdown against Newcastle United. However, there is good news on Gabriel Magalhaes, who is expected to be fit to start.

Arteta’s £42 million summer signing Calafiori remains sidelined after sustaining an injury during Arsenal’s Champions League encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk, ruling him out for the third consecutive game. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will also be missing as he continues his recovery from an injury suffered while on international duty in September, despite hopes he might be ready to

Fortunately, Gabriel Magalhaes, who was forced off during last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool, is likely to feature. Though Gabriel missed Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win over Preston, Arteta stated he would be part of the squad if he successfully completes the final training session. “It’s good news on Gabriel,” Arteta confirmed. “If he’s able to train, he’ll be in the squad.”

Riccardo Calafiori

Arteta also addressed the statuses of other players, confirming that Calafiori and Odegaard are definitively out, while Ben White remains uncertain due to a missed training session. “Riccy and Martin are out definitely,” Arteta said. “With Ben, we don’t know yet. He could not train, so let’s see what happens.

Commenting on Odegaard’s progress, Arteta shared that the captain is nearing a return and has begun initial work with the team. “He’s going to start to do certain work with us,” Arteta explained. “With the work he’s put in, I would be surprised if when he’s back training with us we don’t say he’s ready.”

Arsenal’s Premier League campaign has seen a strong start, positioning them third in the standings, five points behind Manchester City. Despite recent stumbles, Arteta remains confident as the team heads to St James’ Park. “You want to be first,” he said, reflecting on Arsenal’s ambitions. “We know the tough challenge and we’re going to be ready for that.”