Young Arsenal defender Maldini Kacurri has not been included in Saturday’s Premier League 2 squad for a game away to Fulham. The decision has heightened fears that regular first-team centre-back William Saliba could miss the evening’s clash with Aston Villa.
Saliba was not seen in training pictures posted on Friday, sparking concern that he will not be fit enough to be involved at the Emirates Stadium. The Frenchman played 90 minutes against Tottenham on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta has been working with an increasingly threadbare squad in recent weeks owing to yet more injuries. Gabriel Jesus is the latest man to be ruled out for a significant period of time. His season could be over after going off with a knee problem against Manchester United last weekend.
Arsenal’s substitutes bench against Spurs included young duo Ismeal Kabia and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji. Neither player has been selected to feature for the Under-21s in a hint that they will, once more, be with the senior side.
Kacurri made his debut for the first-team earlier this year – coming from the substitutes bench in the Carabao Cup third-round win over Bolton Wanderers. He was also named as a substitute against Crystal Palace last month in the same competition, but he’s yet to play in the Premier League.
He was picked as back-up three times earlier in the season, but has not made a senior breakthrough as yet. The 19-year-old Albanian has been a regular for academy matches.
Kacurri has trained under Arteta with the senior players previously, first doing so in 2022 as a 17-year-old. He moved from the Fulham academy earlier that year and is a youth international for his country.
Arsenal know that if results go their way this weekend they could be just one point off Liverpool at the top of the table. Meanwhile, a gap to third-placed Nottingham Forest could also end up being five points.
