Eight Arsenal stars absent from training pictures ahead of Chelsea Carabao Cup clash

Arsenal have been back in training as they prepare to travel to Chelsea in Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg action on Wednesday night

Arsenal have returned to the training pitch following Sunday’s 4-1 FA Cup third-round triumph at Portsmouth.

Preparations are now well and truly underway for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg against Chelsea but it appears Mikel Arteta could potentially be without a number of key first-team stars.

The Spaniard confirmed on Tuesday that William Saliba and Leandro Trossard both missed the trip to Fratton Park with fitness issues and neither were spotted in the club’s training picture gallery.

While as always, it’s possible that any of the players that were not visible still could have trained, Saliba and Trossard are doubtful for the clash against Chelsea.

They weren’t the only Arsenal stars missing from the images either as Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie and Gabriel Jesus were also absent.

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Kepa Arrizabalaga also wasn’t pictured but that’s nothing new as goalkeepers usually train separately from the main group and do their own work with Inaki Cana.

White started against Pompey and played 69 minutes before being replaced by Jurrien Timber.

He’s not long returned from a hamstring strain so there is a chance his condition might be being managed.

Calafiori is not yet ready to return as he picked up an issue in the warm-up ahead of the victory over Brighton.

Mosquera is thought to be closing in on a comeback from an ankle injury he picked up against Brentford in December.

Meanwhile, Hincapie picked up a muscular problem during the second half of the goalless draw with Liverpool last week. Arteta says he could be facing several weeks on the sidelines, too.

Jesus played 70 minutes at Portsmouth before being replaced by Kai Havertz. It’s unlikely the Brazilian would start against Chelsea anyway but if none of the training picture absentees are available against the Blues, Arteta is facing some big questions at the back because options are very limited.

In some respects, the defence may pick itself with Timber at right-back, Christian Norgaard and Gabriel at centre-back and Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

Marli Salmon got more minutes against Portsmouth and could be in the mix for a start, though there is still a firm chance Arsenal might be a little stronger at the back than anticipated.

Declan Rice has also slotted in as a makeshift right-back and can do that job again, if required.