Mikel Arteta issues 'not feeling good' Arsenal injury update ahead of Newcastle United cup clash

Mikel Arteta has issued an update on one of Arsenal’s most important players ahead of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle United. The Gunners were in Premier League action on Saturday and were forced to settle for a draw despite leading on the South Coast.

Arsenal could now fall further behind leaders Liverpool should they beat rivals Manchester United on Sunday. But for now, the Gunners must concentrate on their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash with Newcastle on Tuesday, with the Magpies in superb form, closing in rapidly on the top four.

Eddie Howe’s men came from behind to beat Tottenham away from home on Saturday, moving to within a point of Chelsea in fourth. With the first leg at home, Arsenal know they can’t afford to get themselves in a hole on Tuesday, but they may well remain without starting striker Kai Havertz.

Arteta’s Havertz update

The German striker has missed the last two games with illness, and his condition has not yet improved, while Martin Odegaard also missed out. Arteta said after the Brighton draw: “Kai tried but he really was very honest and said: ‘I can’t even train, I’m not feeling good at all’. We tried yesterday to see if he could train and he tried his best but he wasn’t able to do that. Martin (Odegaard) didn’t train and said 'I will see how I feel tomorrow' and he did his best to be here because we know the numbers that we have.”

Asked about Arsenal’s struggles to create chances against the Seagulls, the Spaniard added: “You cannot rely just on one player to work. I think the process in the second half, especially we lack certain things and it’s normal because the fluidity that we have in certain areas with the players we have is not the same. But certainly it’s something we can do much better and that’s on us.”

On whether Arsenal did enough to win the game, he continued: “The defensive part I think we did a lot of great things. With the ball, we should’ve done better and without them creating much because they haven’t. It was a really tight game, and there was not enough to win it.”