David Luiz Absence Unlikely To Hamper Arsenal Chances Against Fulham

Arsenal FC seems ready to go this weekend when they face Fulham on Saturday, Sept. 12. Though Mikel Arteta has more than enough manpower he can utilize, one player out for that match is David Luiz. The 33-year-old is sidelined due to neck spasms and is questionable against the Cottagers.

Hence, the Gunners will miss the services of their center-back who will be forced to watch from the sidelines. An update on his health status on Arsenal's website revealed that Luiz is being assessed and undergoing treatment. The Brazilian player is responding well to treatment.

Aside from Luiz, another player who won’t see action against the Cottagers is Sokratis Papastathopoulos. He is out with a strained right calf that he sustained during training. He is expected to be back in full training by next week.

Other Arsenal players who are out due to injuries include Emile Smith Rowe, Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli and Shkodran Mustafi. But Luiz appears to be the biggest loss for Arteta, who will have to dig deep and possibly tap the players in the mix.

Among the new players at Arteta’s disposal include William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Both are Premier League rookies, and Nigel Winterburn is a bit wary of asking too much from the two players.

Making it even harder is the fact that they will have to deal with the physical presence and keen eye of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

This early, Winterburn expects Fulham manager Scott Parker not to take it easy on the two rookies, Goal reported. So while he does not want to force the issue on Saliba and Gabriel, Arteta will have to orient them and pray that both respond to his call.

Arteta has likely done that by now and made adjustments heading into this weekend’s match. Other players can step up for Arsenal. That includes Willian Borges da Silva, a prized acquisition from Chelsea F.C.

As for the holdovers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is still around, same with Alexandre Lacazette. Luiz is a big loss for the Gunners, but Arteta does have the personnel to compete with the Cottagers. But the real concern for Arsenal is his dilapidated backline, something that Fulham is likely to exploit.