Mikel Arteta reveals huge Arsenal injury scare ahead of crunch Man City clash
Arsenal are safely through to the next round of the Champions League but David Raya was absent for their win over Girona and is a doubt for Sunday's meeting with Manchester City
by Dan Marsh · The MirrorDavid Raya missed Arsenal's Champions League win over Girona - and it remains to be seen if he will feature in Sunday's huge Premier League clash with Manchester City.
Eyebrows were raised when Neto was named in goal for Arsenal, who travelled to Spain on a mission to confirm their progression into the Round of 16, which they did courtesy of a 2-1 win.
And Mikel Arteta confirmed prior to kick-off on TNT Sports that Raya's absence was fitness related. "Yeah, he’s not fit," the Spaniard confirmed. "Apart from that, if there is a player who deserves a chance then it’s Neto."
After the game, he added: “He (Raya) certainly could not play, he is injured and that is it.” Raya has grown into a huge figure in the Arsenal goal since joining from Brentford last summer. And the absence of their No.1 goalkeeper would be a significant blow for Arsenal considering the importance of the match.
Unfortunately for Neto, he was caught in no man's land when Girona opened the scoring towards the end of the first half. Former Bournemouth midfielder Arnaut Danjuma teased the ball past the keeper from range with the Brazilian well outside his area.
Quickfire goals from Jorginho - who cooly converted a penalty - and the impressive Ethan Nwaneri spared Neto's blushes, though, as Arsenal cantered into the Round of 16.
With their place in the knockout stage of the Champions League secured, Arteta and co can now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they are bidding to claw back a six-point deficit on Liverpool, who have also played a game less than the Gunners.
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While Arteta refused to disclose what Raya's issue is, he made it clear the Spaniard was not fit to play, explaining post-match: "[Raya] certainly could not play, he's injured. Let's see how he improves."
Neto's appearance was his first in an Arsenal shirt after joining the club on loan back in the summer. It remains to be seen if his second will come on Sunday when the Londoners host their old rivals Manchester City at The Emirates.
Arteta lauded on the on-loan Bournemouth man's patience, adding in his press conference: "I am very happy he played first of all. It's been seven months."
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