Raheem Sterling drops early Arsenal team news hint vs Newcastle as Arteta gives injury update
Raheem Sterling has dropped an early team news hint ahead of Arsenal's clash against Newcastle United. The Gunners will lock horns with the Magpies at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as they look to get the upper hand in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Arsenal will be eager to return to winning ways after they were held to a draw by Brighton on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, Newcastle, who have won each of their last six games across all competitions, will be looking to pick up from where they left off after storming past Tottenham Hotspur.
Nevertheless, Sterling has posted pre-match graphic previews of the Magpies fixture to his Instagram story. Usually, this suggests that he'll be involved in some capacity despite questions marks over his fitness.
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Jurrien Timber and Jorginho have also done the same, hinting that they could start against Eddie Howe's side. Speaking to reporters ahead of the heavyweight clash, Arteta confirmed that Ethan Nwaneri will miss the clash due to a muscle injury.
"Unfortunately, he has picked up an injury and he is going to be out for a few weeks," said the Spaniard. "Yes. He didn't really know to be fair. He said, 'I am feeling something but I don't really know what it is'.
"He has earned the right to step up and play for us and now he has started some games, some big games and impacted those games in the way he has done in different positions, too.
"So I am gutted for him because the injury is going to stop that, but it is another step in that development phase that he is in. I am really happy with the way he is going."
Then, when quizzed on whether Kai Havertz could return from the sidelines, Arteta said: "I hope so but I don’t want to say yes because last time I said he was going to be fit and he wasn’t."
And then on Raheem Sterling, who's been nursing a knock, the Arsenal boss kept his cards close to his chest. Refusing to give an exact return date, Arteta said: "Hopefully very soon."
With that being said, Arteta will be relying on the likes of Timber and Jorginho to step up and lead Arsenal to victory. While a few players have posted pre-match previews of the Newcastle game to their Instagram stories, it does not necessarily mean they will definitely start or, at the very least, play.