MIKEL ARTETA will have to make do without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette against Everton on Friday night.
Arsenal host the Toffees for the 8pm kick-off without the bulk of their first-choice frontline.
Ahead of the game, the club confirmed club captain Aubameyang’s continued absence while suffering from malaria.
The Gabon striker, 31, was infected during the last international break and will not return to full training until next week.
A hamstring injury is keeping Lacazette back after he was forced off in the draw with Fulham.
And Martin Odegaard continues to be assessed due to an ankle knock that makes him a huge doubt to face Everton.
Arteta will therefore face the choice between moving Gabriel Martinelli into the central striker’s role, or promoting Eddie Nketiah.
Martinelli scored his first goal since returning from a long injury lay-off earlier this month but has been kept to the left wing.
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It should either be the Brazilian or Nketiah up top on Friday after the England Under-21 forward scored the equaliser against Fulham.
Speaking of the injury list, Arteta admitted: “It is unfortunately the situation we have at the moment.
“They are all doing really well to be fair, they are a little bit ahead of schedule.
“We don’t expect them for Everton I think, we have a doubt with Martin a little bit, let’s see how he is today in training. The rest will be out.”
Two further absentees will impact the defence with David Luiz and Kieran Tierney unavailable.
Granit Xhaka is set to continue to deputise for the Scot at left-back, who is aiming to make his training comeback from a knee issue in a fortnight.
And Brazilian centre-back Luiz will rejoin the squad next week having overcome a knee complaint.
A win for the Gunners would be a huge boost to their top-seven aspirations, with eighth-placed Everton three points above them going into the game.
Arteta added: “We had so many injuries in recent weeks that put the team in a difficult position but the other players are reacting well, the team is performing well and let’s go and win.
“That is the best medicine, always, for everything that happens: win football matches.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
