Arsenal Injury Concerns Mount Before Sporting and City Ties

Arsenal face mounting injury concerns ahead of two pivotal matches this week, with five key players absent from Tuesday's training session as they prepare to host Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. The Gunners hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Portugal, where Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time winner, but their preparations have been disrupted just days before a crucial Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.

Declan Rice, who played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal's 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday, was among those missing the session at the Sobha Realty Training Centre. Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori also did not participate, raising doubts over their availability for the European tie. Rice's absence is a new development, while Odegaard sustained a niggle during the first leg against Sporting and sat out the Bournemouth loss. Saka has been sidelined since before the international break, missing recent games including the FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Southampton. Timber has been out for nearly a month with an ankle issue after being...