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Arsenal are in the midst of a selection crisis as they prepare to play three matches over the course of one week.
The fixture schedule is hectic for Mikel Arteta’s side who have been one of the few teams in the Premier League yet to have a match postponed due to Covid, with just 45 hours and 30 minutes separating their matches against Norwich and Wolves.
Sambi Lokonga and Pablo Mari were two of the players in the squad who did return positive results, with Calum Chambers the latest one to be included in that group.
However, in the build-up to their match at Carrow Road, the club confirmed three further positive cases that will plunge the club into a mini selection crisis.
🚨 Cedric, Tomiyasu and Maitland-Niles all miss out on today's squad after testing positive with Covid.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 26, 2021
Get well soon lads ❤️
Arsenal hit with right-back selection crisis as Tomiyasu, Cedric, Maitland-Niles and Calum Chambers all test positive for Covid
Already recovering from an injury, Takehiro Tomiyasu joined his teammates in contracting the virus, along with Cedric Soares and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Arsenal have four right-backs in their squad, and now all of them have Covid.
Benjamin White filled in against Norwich and looks set to be doing so again when his side host Wolves at the Emirates on Tuesday. With Tomiyasu, Cedric and Maitland-Niles all out for up to a week, they will miss the matches with Norwich, Wolves and Manchester City.
UK government laws state that one week of isolation is sufficient so long as you can produce two negative tests, but with the City game to come six days after the trip to Carrow Road, it now looks set that they will all be unavailable aside from Chambers, although he will have barely had chance to train.
It’s a hammer blow to Arteta who has been able to call upon the reliable Tomiyasu ever since he was signed on deadline day, but with no other options in that department it will be on another summer signing to fill in.
Arsenal could move to a back three system with Bukayo Saka filling in at right wing-back, but it would be an odd decision considering the joy the team have found lately lining up as a 4-2-3-1.
It’s already going to be a struggle against Wolves due to the turnover time, as Bruno Lage’s side have had the luxury of eight days’ rest between fixtures.