Arsenal goalkeeper ruled out for weeks with new injury | OneFootball

Arsenal goalkeeper Tommy Setford has picked up another injury, and he’s expected to miss a few weeks of action with the Gunners.

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James McNicholas reported for The Athletic on Tuesday night that Tommy Setford has picked up a muscular injury, and he’s set to be out for a few weeks.

That injury was the reason why 16-year-old Jack Porter made the bench for Tuesday’s semi-final first leg against Newcastle United, with Bournemouth loanee Neto cup-tied.

Neto featured in Bournemouth’s 1-0 defeat to West Ham United in the second round of the competition, so he can’t play for Arsenal in the League Cup this season.

Photo via Arsenal.com

It will be a different story when Arsenal face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, and it will be interesting to see whether Neto is drafted in for his first Gunners appearance against Ruben Amorim’s side.

On the back of a morale-crushing 2-0 loss to Newcastle, you’d think Mikel Arteta would want to go strong and get things back on track against the Manchester side. So perhaps this isn’t the time for a debut.

But if not now, it’s hard to see when Neto will get his introduction. Arsenal are unlikely to have any ‘dead rubber’ games in the Champions League or the Premier League, so it would probably take an injury, suspension, or progressing to the FA Cup fourth round and drawing a lower-league team.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

As for Setford, it’s a shame that he’s already had his second injury setback of the season, and it’s particularly disappointing that those injuries have been so poorly timed.

Setford missed his chance to make his Emirates Stadium debut in the League Cup third round through injury, with Porter playing instead. Now he’s missed his first chance at featuring in a semi-final squad, and he won’t be available for this weekend’s FA Cup game either.

The goalkeeper did at least play against Preston North End in the League Cup fourth round, but the focus is now on getting fit again before the competition returns in February.