Arsenal fans have determined who may be required to appear in goal for their Carabao Cup match against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday due to David Raya’s injury concerns.
On Sunday, Raya was observed exiting the Etihad Stadium with a substantial limp and a bandage on his right leg, following his valiant effort in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw.
The points were divided between Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta after John Stones’ last-gasp equaliser prevented Arsenal from securing all three points at the Etihad.
Leandro Trossard’s second yellow card for kicking the ball away (again) entirely altered the situation, as Arteta’s team appeared to be in control before the break.
Raya maintained his exceptional performance from the previous week against the incumbent champions, as he made several impressive saves to prevent City from scoring in the second half. Additionally, he contributed to the eventual equaliser.
Nevertheless, Arteta is faced with a challenging decision in advance of Arsenal’s inaugural League Cup match, as Raya is currently a source of injury concern.
Arsenal was compelled to seek a custodian following Aaron Ramsdale’s definitive transfer to Southampton. As a result, they secured Brazilian shot-stopper Neto on loan from Bournemouth. Nevertheless, there is a problem.
Neto will be unable to serve as a substitute for David Raya in Arsenal’s league cup matches as a result of his involvement in the Carabao Cup for Bournemouth.
This seemed an unusual selection at the time, as the Premier League’s top six players typically alternate between the posts in the Carabao Cup. However, if Raya is disqualified from the match, it is highly unlikely that he will make his debut.
Tommy Setford, Arsenal’s third-choice, is also believed to be unavailable due to a fitness concern, as he has not been included in the squad since the international break.
Jack Porter, a 16-year-old who was on the substitute for Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Atalanta in the Champions League, may be the sole available custodian to Arteta, which is a remarkable development.
Porter has been capped four times for England’s U16 team, in addition to making six appearances for Arsenal’s U18s and one for the U21s.
