January 15, (THEWILL) – Arsenal has requested that this weekend’s north London derby be postponed due to Covid, injuries, and absences from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Following reports that they might request a rescheduling of their visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, the club issued a statement that read:
“We can confirm we have made an application to the Premier League for the postponement of Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
“We have reluctantly taken this step, but we have many players currently unavailable across our squad as a result of Covid, injuries and players away with their countries at AFCON. We will provide more information as soon as it’s available.”
As things stand, Emile Smith Rowe, Sead Kolasinac, Bukayo Saka, Cedric Soares, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all on the injury list. Saka and Cedric were both forced out during Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool on Thursday evening, with Smith Rowe out with a groin injury, Kolasinac with a hamstring problem, and Tomiyasu with a calf injury.
In addition to these is Martin Odegaard’s positive COVID-19 test and the extensive list of Arsenal players at AFCON such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, and youngster Omar Rekik. Taken together, an already threadbare Gunners’ roster appears even more ragged.
When asked if Arsenal would try to move for the north London derby to be postponed earlier in the week, Mikel Arteta said it was possible:
“It’s a possibility in any game from our side, from the opponents’ side, because of the amount of issues that everybody is having and because it’s happening every week, but we try to prepare for the games thinking that we’re going to play. If something happens along the way, it is what it is.”
The Premier League published a statement following Arsenal’s announcement, confirming that it had received their application. It stated: “The Premier League has received a postponement request from Arsenal relating to their away match against Tottenham Hotspur, due to be played at 16.30 GMT on Sunday 16 January.
“The Premier League Board will meet tomorrow to review the application and inform both clubs and their fans of its decision.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
