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Arsenal and Crystal Palace are set to face off in a midweek Premier League showdown at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, but both clubs have their eyes firmly on upcoming semi-final ties that could define their seasons.
While the two London sides will be keen to secure a strong finish in the Premier League, they are also preparing for crucial cup competitions. Arsenal are less than a week away from their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, while Crystal Palace will head to Wembley this weekend for an FA Cup semi-final showdown.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will have to navigate the match without six key first-team players. Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jorginho are all sidelined due to various fitness issues.
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There is also some doubt surrounding Bukayo Saka’s involvement after he was on the receiving end of a rough challenge by Ipswich’s Leif Davis over the weekend. Arteta provided a cautious update during his pre-match press conference: “We have to wait and see how he reacts after the next training session, but it’s nothing too serious. If we want to, I think he would have a good chance to play tomorrow.”
Ben Chilwell is among the Crystal Palace players set to miss the clash against Arsenal (Image credit: Getty Images)Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are also dealing with several absentees. Manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that four first-team players will be unavailable for the trip to North London. Among them is Ben Chilwell, who has been ruled out due to illness. “No new injury concerns, but sickness — Ben Chilwell is sick, unfortunately. He should have started but he couldn’t come today to training, so he’s not available,” Glasner told reporters.
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Chris Richards will also miss the match after receiving two yellow cards in Palace’s last outing, triggering a one-game suspension. In addition, Chadi Riad remains sidelined after suffering an ACL rupture, which is expected to keep him out until late 2025. Glasner previously described the injury as “really frustrating,” noting it occurred during a routine training session.
Cheick Doucouré is another long-term absentee for the Eagles, having undergone knee surgery. “We have lost [him] for the rest of the season,” Glasner said. “We hope [he] will return for pre-season.”
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