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  "path": "/2026/03/22/arsenal-handed-third-injury-scare-hours-carabao-cup-final-defeat-man-city-27606790/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-22T21:05:37.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Carabao Cup",
    "Manchester City FC",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "William Saliba",
    "Manchester City",
    "Wembley",
    "Nico O’Rielly scoring twice to seal victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.",
    "Erling Haaland",
    "Brazil",
    "Sign up here",
    "Both players were left out of the squad on Sunday",
    "@metrosportuk",
    "kepa",
    "mancity",
    "carabaocup",
    "oreilly",
    "♬ original sound - Metro Sport",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Saliba played the full 90 minutes at Wembley (Picture: Getty)\n\nArsenal have been handed another injury concern in the aftermath of their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City with William Saliba withdrawing from the France squad.\n\nSaliba played the full 90 minutes as the Gunners fell to a 2-0 defeat at Wembley with Nico O’Rielly scoring twice to seal victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.\n\nThe centre-half was one of his side’s better players on the day, going toe-to-toe with Erling Haaland all afternoon and coming out on top in plenty of his duels with the City striker.\n\nBut two hours after the final whistle at Wembley, it was confirmed Saliba had withdrawn from the France squad for upcoming friendly matches against Brazil and Colombia in the United States with Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix called into replace him.\n\nThe France Football Federation said in a brief statement Saliba has an injury to his left ankle.\n\n‘William Saliba is unable to join the French national team’s training camp, which begins this Monday, March 23.\n\n‘The Arsenal centre-back is suffering from recurring pain in his left ankle, requiring treatment and a minimum rest period of ten days.’\n\n##  Your football fix\n\n**Metro** 's Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week's biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.\n\nSign up here, it's an open goal.\n\nArteta will hope Saliba’s issue is not serious (Picture: Getty)\n\nSaliba recently missed two matches against Brighton and Mansfield Town with an ankle issue.\n\nHe became the third player to withdraw from international duty on Sunday evening with Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze also pulling out for Netherlands and England respectively.\n\nBoth players were left out of the squad on Sunday with Timber picking up a knock against Everton last week, also missing the midweek victory over Bayer Leverkusen.\n\n##  Arsenal 0-2 Man City - Metro at the Match\n\nManchester City have secured the first silverware of the season after Arsenal failed to deliver at Wembley.\n\nThe quadruple dream is over and the Gunners must now pick up the pieces after a sobering setback.\n\nFor City, it has breathed life into their campaign after a dismal Champions League exit this week.\n\n> @metrosportuk\n>\n> Kepa won’t want to watch that one back 😬 Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final following a huge mistake from the Gunners’ goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, which lead to a quick brace from Nico O’Reilly. #kepa #arsenal #mancity #carabaocup #oreilly\n>\n> ♬ original sound - Metro Sport\n\n**Kepa gamble backfires spectacularly**\n\nMikel Arteta decided to keep faith in Kepa Arrizabalaga after starting the Spaniard in each round of the competition leading up to the final at Wembley today.\n\nPep Guardiola did likewise with James Trafford, but it was Arsenal who paid the price for dropping one of their best players. From the moment the second-half kicked off, Kepa dallied on the ball, inviting the pressure that would inevitably swarm all over the Gunners and trigger their downfall.\n\nRaya has been spectacular this season, the best goalkeeper in the Premier League by some margin and in sublime form. Had he started, Sunday may have been a very different story.\n\nArsenal still have plenty left to fight for (Picture: Getty)\n\n**Old Arsenal fears reignited**\n\nWe have seen Arsenal collapse in the past. Past failures have so often been used as a stick to beat them with but things have felt different this season.\n\nVictory today would have gone some way in erasing the lingering fears over another derailment . But defeat at Wembley could serve as a catalyst for something much bleaker.\n\nArteta got his biggest decision on the day wrong (Picture: Getty)\n\nArsenal are still fighting on three fronts, in control of the Premier League title race and well-placed to continue marching on in Europe. But the effects of today could be season-altering. The woeful second-half showing was as bad as anything served up by them this term on the stage where they needed to be their best.\n\n**O'Reilly steps up**\n\nCity needed a hero at Wembley and they found a home-grown one. With Phil Foden only coming on as an injury time substitute, left-back O'Reilly stepped up as City's savour with two headers to save their season.\n\nCity were fantastic in the second period to a man and fed off Arsenal's apprehension but it was the 21-year-old set the standard when they needed inspiration.\n\n**_Tony Mogan, live sports editor_**\n\nEze scored a sensational goal against the Bundesliga side but also picked up an ankle problem that meant he had no part to play on Sunday.\n\n‘We have to do another scan in six or seven days and wait and see the results,’ Arteta said of Eze’s injury in his post-match press conference. ‘Is it a leg injury. His calf.’\n\nMartin Odegaard was Arsenal’s other injury absentee against City having missed the last five games with a knee issue. He was not named in the Norway squad for upcoming friendlies.\n\nArsenal are back in action against Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on 4 April.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Arsenal handed third injury scare hours after Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City"
}