TEAM NEWS
Fellow central defender Laurent Koscielny bruised his jaw in that tie and is also likely to miss out. Arsenal expects to be without Sokratis for at least a fortnight because of an ankle problem sustained during Friday’s FA Cup defeat by Manchester United.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock must decide which players are in the right frame of mind to be involved following the disappearance of Emiliano Sala. Sean Morrison remains out following an appendicitis operation.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@Wilsonfooty:It’s difficult to imagine how Cardiff can have prepared for this game with the desperate circumstances of the disappearance of Emiliano Sala weighing so heavily on their shoulders.
It would be understandable if the battle against relegation suddenly seemed deeply trivial, and yet battle they must. It won’t be easy for Arsenal either. It’s likely to be a subdued occasion and a strange atmosphere.
You can only hope that Sala’s family somehow gain some solace from the respect they are shown across the English game, as they try to cope with a trauma played out so far from home.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery: “Our focus now is very clear: the Premier League. We’re also going to play the Europa League with big motivation. It’s one way to the Champions League.
“We need to be concentrated for the three points like we were against Chelsea.”
Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock on the disappearance of club record signing Emiliano Sala: “It has been a traumatic week and even now I can’t get my head around the situation.
“It’s impossible to sleep. I’ve been in football management for 40 years and it’s by far the most difficult week in my career, by an absolute mile.
“It’s probably hit me me harder than anyone else as I’ve met the lad and talked to him for the last six to eight weeks.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Cardiff’s first game since their striker Emiliano Sala went missing is going to be a difficult occasion for everyone.
What happened to Sala and the plane’s pilot is very sad, and a reminder that some things are a lot more important than football matches.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 14 competitive meetings, winning all three of their Premier League fixtures against Cardiff.
- The Bluebirds have lost their last six away games against Arsenal in all competitions.
- Cardiff’s only two top-flight victories in this fixture both came in the 1960-61 season.
Arsenal
- The Gunners have won five successive Premier League home games, and are unbeaten in their past 11 at the Emirates Stadium (W9, D2).
- Arsenal have won 32 and drawn one of their 33 home matches against sides in the relegation zone since a defeat by West Ham in April 2007.
- They are also undefeated in their 23 most recent league encounters at the Emirates against promoted sides, winning 20 and keeping 14 clean sheets.
- Arsenal could keep consecutive Premier League clean sheets for only the second time this season.
- Aaron Ramsey began his career at Cardiff City, scoring one goal in 16 Championship appearances in 2007-08 before joining Arsenal. He returned to Cardiff on loan in 2010-11, netting one goal in six league matches.
Cardiff City
- The Bluebirds have won only three of their 30 Premier League away matches, with their only success this season coming at Leicester City a month ago.
- Cardiff have failed to score in 11 of their 23 league matches, a joint-high with Huddersfield.
- They could equal the club Premier League record of four consecutive games without a goal, set from February to March 2014.
- Cardiff are the only side yet to be leading at half-time in the Premier League this season and have been ahead for just 93 minutes in total.
- Neil Warnock’s three top-flight visits to Arsenal have all ended in defeat with different teams in different decades: October 1991 with Notts County, September 2006 with Sheffield United, and December 2011 with QPR.
Source: BBC News
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