Arsenal handed early double boost for Southampton FA Cup quarter-final amid Mikel Arteta injury crisis

Arsenal will be blessed with a double boost in this weekend's FA Cup quarter-final clash with Southampton, which two Saints players will miss due to suspension.

The Gunners head to St Mary's for Saturday evening's contest counting the cost of a painful international break, which saw no fewer than 10 players withdraw due to various injury problems.

There are fears over Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Piero Hincapie in particular, but the status of Arsenal's other injury doubts will be clouded in uncertainty until the teamsheets are released.

Either way, Mikel Arteta was always expected to make sweeping changes for the trip to St Mary's, which comes just three days before Arsenal meet Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

The Gunners could put out an XI similar to their 2-1 win over Mansfield Town in the fifth round, where Southampton stunned Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage, albeit not without sacrifice.

Southampton without suspended duo for Arsenal FA Cup quarter-final

Indeed, Saints duo Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki both picked up their second yellow cards of the competition against the Cottagers, meaning that the pair are banned for the visit of Arsenal.

For teams entering the FA Cup in the first round or later, only two yellow cards are needed to incur a one-game ban, and single bookings are not wiped until after the quarter-finals are completed.

As a result, Downes and Matsuki will helplessly watch on from the sidelines this weekend, and the absence of the former will be a crushing blow for Southampton, as the 27-year-old has been a regular fixture in the side with 36 appearances this season.

With Downes out of contention, Saints boss Tonda Eckert could turn to 34-year-old midfield veteran Oriol Romeu, who rejoined the club on a one-year contract in November.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old playmaker Matsuki could also be a big miss for the hosts, having come up with four goal contributions in his last six Championship appearances - three of his own and one assist.

Could any Arsenal players miss the FA Cup semi-finals?

While single yellow cards are expunged after the FA Cup quarter-finals, players who are on one booking are still at risk of missing the semis if they are cautioned for the second time in the quarters.

Arsenal have four players currently treading that tightrope, although one of them - Eze - is expected to be out for a few weeks with his serious calf problem.

However, Christian Norgaard, Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori - three likely starters for the quarter-final - are all on one yellow card and will sit out any potential semi-final if cautioned this weekend.

Calafiori will be expected to start at left-back regardless, giving Myles Lewis-Skelly - who himself was suspended for the fifth-round win at Mansfield Town - licence to operate in midfield.