- Arsenal and Manchester United will miss a couple of key players when they clash later today at Emirates Stadium
- The Red Devils will head to London, looking for ways to overtake Liverpool on the EPL table
- The Gunners have a four-point lead at the top and stand a better chance of increasing the margin
Arsenal will host Manchester United in the highly anticipated English Premier League match at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, January 25.
Despite dropping points in their last two matches, the Gunners still lead the table and stand a chance of increasing their lead by seven points.
On the other hand, the Red Devils have improved drastically with the inclusion of fresh players following the appointment of legend Michael Carrick, who masterminded their 2-0 win over Manchester United in their last match.
Source: Getty Images
Players to miss Arsenal vs Man United clash
Mikel Arteta and Michael Carick will miss the services of some key players for the game in North London as the injuries continue to hamper the efficiency of both clubs.
The Gunners will be sweating over the fitness level of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, who is yet to kick the ball since December due to a muscle injury.
Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie is the other player in doubt, while teenage star Max Dowman has been ruled out entirely.
Arteta also stated that Kai Havertz is close to recovering fully but likely to muss the match. The Spanish coach said:
“We’ll see after our last training if Calafiori is going to be fit, after that, to assess everybody and make a decision, first of all in the squad.
“For Havertz, he is very close. Obviously, he has been out for a long time, almost a year, for different reasons, and now we have to be very smart in the manner that we manage that load, the minutes.
“I am sure in the next few weeks he is going to play in minutes,” according to Arsenal’s website.
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Manchester United will be without Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, whose back injury has taken longer than expected to heal.
Michael Carrick has adopted a different approach since the departure of Ruben Amorim, switching to a back four, with Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez performing impressively at the heart of the defence. The former Red Devils midfielder said via United In Focus:
“He had a bit of a setback before I arrived, only small, but he was a little bit slower than we had liked. He’s getting closer, and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, he will be back and around it.”
The 20-time Premier League winners will also be without Joshua Zirkzee, who is sidelined with a knock amid speculation over his imminent departure from the Theatre of Dreams.
Arsenal FC are currently topping the table with 50 points, while Manchester United are fifth on the log with 35 points.
Supercomputer predicted Premier League winner
Legit.ng earlier reported that a supercomputer predicted Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season after the Gunners went six points clear after 12 matches.
Mikel Arteta’s side are favourites to win the Premier League and Champions League this season after a bright start in both competitions.
Source: Legit.ng
