'They Had Issues' - Mikel Arteta Opens Up on Growing Arsenal Injury List After FA Cup Win

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the club's growing injury list after two players were forced off during their 2-1 FA Cup victory over Mansfield Town.

The Gunners secured their spot in the quarter-finals but saw both Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori substituted with apparent injuries, adding to Mikel Arteta's selection headaches.

Key players Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Martin Zubimendi were also absent from the squad that travelled to Field Mill.

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Mikel Arteta confirmed their omission was a precautionary measure to manage existing fitness problems ahead of a crucial Champions League fixture against Bayer Leverkusen.

"They had issues, and they've been carrying issues," Arteta explained post-match. "The amount of games that we are playing is obviously super demanding. It was the only time to try to make sure that we can clean those issues... to start the next sequence of two weeks before the break in the best possible way."

Declan Rice, who was unable to complete the recent league match against Chelsea, had recovered to play a vital role in the 1-0 win at Brighton. However, the decision was made to rest him and the other two regulars for the cup tie.

The concerns for Arsenal deepened during the match against The Stags. Trossard, who started the game, pulled up before halftime, clutching his upper left leg, suggesting a potential hip or adductor issue. In the second half, left-back Calafiori went down holding his hamstring after making a clearance.

Despite the double blow, Arteta seemed to downplay the severity of the new injuries. "Both of them, they had little niggles," he said. "They were not comfortable to continue. I knew that this could be a possibility, especially in the conditions that we're playing in today. So we had to take them off."

These latest setbacks come as Arsenal are already without several key personnel. Captain Martin Odegaard has missed the last three games, while Ben White and long-term absentee Mikel Merino remain on the sidelines.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was suspended for the Mansfield trip, will be available for the upcoming match in Germany.

With their quadruple ambitions still intact, the Premier League leaders face a demanding schedule before the international break.

They have fixtures against Bayer Leverkusen (twice), Everton, and a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley. Arsenal will find out their FA Cup quarter-final opponent in Monday's draw.