Mikel Arteta has said League One Mansfield Town’s patchy pitch has left him cautious of his team selection as he looks to limit potential injuries to senior players for the serious business ahead.
The Gunners visit Field Mill on Saturday lunchtime in the FA Cup fifth round, continuing their pursuit of a historic quadruple.
Yet Arteta may not want to risk his star men on a pitch that is already bare in patches and likely to be muddy as the game progresses.
That puts players like 16-year-old Max Dowman and utility man Christian Norgaard in contention for starts.
Asked if conditions might dictate his selections, Arteta said: ‘It can do, especially if there is a player that is carrying some injuries.
‘The pitch can affect him in the wrong way, especially certain muscles. But hopefully we’re going to have the ones that we need.
Mikel Arteta has suggested he will be forced into rotation by the condition of Mansfield’s pitch
‘It’s normal, it’s the beauty of this competition as well. You have to go there, you have to adapt.
‘We’ve all been playing since I was little, we’ve all been playing in those stadiums or worse, so you need to adapt to that context and make the most out of it.’
He also confirmed that William Saliba’s ankle injury is not serious, and not the same ankle he injured against Liverpool in August.
The centre back was left out of Wednesday’s squad for Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Brighton with an ankle sprain.
‘No, it’s the other one (not same as Liverpool),’ said Arteta. ‘We thought the same straight after the game because he wasn’t comfortable to finish the game.
‘And after that, straight away, he didn’t have a good feeling so let’s see if he recovers quickly.’
He added: ‘I doubt (he’ll be a possibility for Saturday).’
