Mikel Arteta could not confirm whether David Raya will be fit for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup clash with Bolton on Wednesday, with a rookie goalkeeper needing to step in if he is unavailable.
Raya was seen limping after the 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Sunday and is a doubt for the meeting with Bolton at the Emirates.
Neto is Arsenal’s back-up stopper but he is cup-tied after signing from Bournemouth, leaving Arteta short of options in goal.
18-year-old Tommy Setford would be next in line but has been struggling with injury, meaning 16-year-old Jack Porter could get the nod after he was on the bench for the Champions League game against Atalanta last week alongside Neto. Brian Okonkwo and Lucas Nygaard are other options.
On Raya’s fitness, Arteta told a press conference on Tuesday morning: ‘Let’s see how they are today. We’ll try to make a call on that if we believe that’s a possibility.’
The Arsenal boss was tight-lipped on his options going into the game with Bolton, with fitness doubts also hanging over the likes of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.
There were suggestions that Arsenal players were pretending to have injuries late in the game at Manchester City to waste time, but Arteta says that genuine concerns will prove that to be false.
‘I always prefer the facts to words than supposing things,’ he said. ‘Let’s see who is available tomorrow and then we can talk about dark arts.
‘Unfortunately yes there will be a few players unavailable. Tomorrow you find it as soon as I give the line-up.’
Martin Odegaard is certainly out of the game this week and for some time to come, although Arteta sounded a little more positive on his captain’s ankle injury.
‘I think it will be a matter of weeks, but how long exactly I cannot tell,’ he said. ‘We might get a surprise but I think it’s unlikely he’ll be back before the international break.’
Oleksandr Zinchenko remains out for ‘a few more weeks’ through injury, while summer signing Mikel Merino is still sidelined with a shoulder problem.
Leandro Trossard will not feature against Bolton as he is suspended, but will be available at the weekend in the Premier League against Leicester City.
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