Manchester United have already suffered a major blow to their title aspirations during their midweek match with Crystal Palace as they played out a disappointing 1-1 draw.
An even bigger blow was the defeat of midfield general Casemiro, who received his fifth yellow card of the season and was automatically disqualified for a potential six-pointer against Arsenal on Sunday.
The absence of the Brazilian means that Erik ten Hag will have to change his squad to compensate for the loss and try to find an answer against the league leaders.
Martial, do you want to skip the Dalot?
There may be even more bad news for the Dutch manager with two key players who are not pictured in the travelling squad.
According to The Manchester Evening News, “Anthony Martial and Diogo Dalot will miss Manchester United’s Sunday trip to Arsenal.
“The duo was not seen among the members of the squad that was traveling by train to London on Saturday afternoon.”
🚨 Anthony Martial & Diogo Dalot are set to MISS Manchester United’s trip to Arsenal on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/Q4k0DWkNcg
— Back Again W/Troopz Podcast (@backagain) January 21, 2023
The French striker, who missed the game with Palace, was expected to be available for the game against the Gunners, but he was not seen among the members of the team who left by train for London on Saturday afternoon.
Dalot had to withdraw during the FA Cup match with Charlton Athletic, and he missed both the Manchester derby and the trip to Selhurst Park.
Aaron Van Bissaka has proven himself well since joining the team, and the absence of Dalot should not be felt so much.
Weghorst to get another chance
But Martial’s absence could be a huge blow, as it means that the loaned striker Wut Weghorst will play his second match in a row.
Although the Dutch striker performed well enough against the Eagles, he has yet to fully understand Ten Hag’s style and has not picked up speed in the Premier League.
Just because both aren’t traveling doesn’t necessarily mean they haven’t traveled to London, so fans are hoping to see the duo warm up at the Emirates on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho also did not go to London. This week he returned to training with the main team, but he is still far from returning to competition.
