Mikel Arteta made 10 changes to the Arsenal squad to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round.
There was always going to be a lot of rotation for the Gunners’ trip to Fratton Park, given that Arsenal had only played Liverpool less than 72 hours prior.
Arsenal’s gruelling away schedule over the next 10 days gave Arteta an incentive to almost entirely change his squad to face Portsmouth.
Fortunately, thanks to Arsenal’s incredible squad depth, there were no cracks on show, as the Gunners won 4-1 in the FA Cup tie.
While it was great to see Ethan Nwaneri return to the squad, as well as Kai Havertz making his long-awaited return from injury, there was one worrying narrative when the squad was revealed.
Who was your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Portsmouth?
William Saliba and Leandro Trossard’s omission against Portsmouth explained
Two players were missing from the squad, one being Leandro Trossard and the other William Saliba.
The two stars are crucial to Arsenal, so naturally, fans started to feel some anxiety over their omission.
Arsenal’s injury record this season has been woeful, so it was unsurprising that fans feared the worst over Trossard and Saliba, but luckily, there’s nothing to worry about.
On X, trusted Arsenal insider Hand of Arsenal confirmed that neither Saliba nor Trossard are injured; they simply missed out to be rested.
“William Saliba and Leandro Trossard were both rested today. No injury concerns,” they posted.
It was a great relief for fans, who swarmed to comment on the post to reveal the hidden worry about the duo’s omission from the squad.
One fan replied to Hand of Arsenal to say, “What did we do to deserve you being sent from heaven?”
Another said, “This is all the news I need to make my day.”
Arsenal’s defence is about to get stronger
Hand of Arsenal’s update wasn’t just about Saliba and Trossard, but Cristhian Mosquera too.
Mosquera is nearing his return from injury, and the insider doubled down on the Spaniard’s fitness status on X.
Do you think people are talking about our injuries enough in the title race?
“Mosquera has stepped up his recovery and is closing in on a return,” they said.
It’s a huge boost for the Arsenal squad, as Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie are still out nursing injuries.
Some good news on the injury front has been needed for so long, and in Mosquera’s case, things are looking up.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
