The 8 players set to miss Arsenal v Crystal Palace ft £50m star | OneFootball

Arsenal host Crystal Palace on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup

Arsenal host Crystal Palace on Wednesday night in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

The Gunners will be looking to get back to winning ways after their 0-0 draw with Everton at home on Saturday afternoon in Premier League action.

Meanwhile, their London rivals will be seeking a semi-final place for the first time in this competition since the 2011/12 campaign.

The two sides meet at The Emirates on Wednesday night in a 7.30pm kick-off, with the draw for the penultimate round taking place on Thursday night following Tottenham's clash with Manchester United.

This clash will also be a precursor to their Premier League meeting at the weekend, giving each manager the chance to get a feel for their opposition in the cup before travelling to Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Here, we take a look at the players that are set to miss Arsenal and Crystal Palace’s midweek fixture…

Arsenal

Ben White

Ben White has been absent from the Arsenal squad since November, when he underwent surgery on a knee injury, last playing for the club in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea in November.

The £50 million signing is not expected back in time for this midweek cup clash with Palace, having been ruled out for up to 12 weeks, so Mikel Arteta will still be without him for the best part of two more months.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Takehiro Tomiyasu has struggled with fitness issues all season, with his only appearance for the club coming in a 3-1 win over Southampton in October.

A knee problem is currently keeping him out of the team, and it’s expected that the Japanese defender will not make a return in time to face Palace this week.

Riccardo Calafiori

Another defender on the treatment table, Riccardo Calafiori is currently struggling with a groin issue, having missed the Gunners’ last three fixtures, last playing in the 5-2 win away to West Ham at the start of the month.

The Italian is unlikely to return in time for Wednesday night’s home clash with Palace.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

A muscle injury is keeping Oleksandr Zinchenko on the sidelines at the moment, with the Ukrainian set to be absent for the EFL Cup quarter-finals this week.

His last appearance for Mikel Arteta’s side came in their 2-0 win over Manchester United at the start of the month.

Declan Rice

Declan Rice was substituted off during Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Everton with an undisclosed issue, and could be unavailable for selection on Wednesday night as a result.

Even if he was fit though, the England international may have been rested for this, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Ethan Nwaneri waiting in the wings.

Neto

Neto will be unavailable for selection as he is cup tied.

The Bournemouth loanee played for the Cherries in the second round of this competition against West Ham, so he is unable to feature for the remainder of the tournament - Arteta picked teenager Tommy Setford against Preston North End last time out.

Crystal Palace

Chadi Riad

Chadi Riad is currently out with a knee injury and is expected to be unavailable for Oliver Glasner’s side for their trip to the Emirates this midweek.

The 21-year-old defender, who arrived from Real Betis in the summer, previously featured in the EFL Cup against Norwich City earlier this year, but that remains his last appearance for the club since getting hurt.

Matheus Franca

Matheus Franca is currently absent from the Crystal Palace side with a groin injury, meaning he will be unavailable for selection in the EFL Cup this week.

The youngster is yet to feature for the London club this season, with his last appearance for the club coming in a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in March - the Brazilian will soon need to kick on though in order to fulfil his potential.