Why Myles Lewis-Skelly will miss Arsenal's clash with Mansfield as Mikel Arteta suffers FA Cup blow

Arsenal will be big favourites to overcome Mansfield Town in Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round clash, but they will have to do so without Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The Gunners had experienced years of turmoil in the prestigious competition since lifting the trophy for the 14th time in 2020, going out before the last 16 in each of the next five editions.

However, Mikel Arteta's men have reached the fifth round for the first time since their record-extending success at an empty Wembley, thanks to a comfortable 4-1 win over Portsmouth and 4-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic.

As Arsenal also chase success in the Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup, Arteta unsurprisingly used the FA Cup as an opportunity to rotate his resources and offer opportunities to fringe and young players.

Lewis-Skelly fell into that category, having fallen down the pecking order since his breakthrough 2024-25 season, but the England international will not be involved when the Gunners face Mansfield this weekend.

Arsenal without Myles Lewis-Skelly for Mansfield FA Cup clash

Lewis-Skelly started both of Arsenal's first two FA Cup games of the season against Portsmouth and Wigan, but he was also booked in both games, meaning he will miss the Mansfield match through suspension.

For teams that enter the FA Cup in the first round proper or beyond, just two yellow cards are needed to incur a one-game ban, and bookings are not wiped until after the quarter-finals.

As a result, Lewis-Skelly will sit on the naughty step for the trip to Mansfield, depriving Arteta of an almost certain starter and also ruling out the possibility of an ideal midfield experiment.

Lewis-Skelly was due to start in the centre of the park against Wigan in the previous round, but after Riccardo Calafiori sustained an injury in the warm-up, the teenager had to return to left-back duties.

Lewis-Skelly played the full 90 in that contest but has not featured for Arsenal since, having been an unused substitute in each of their last four Premier League games, including Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Arsenal have obvious solutions to Myles Lewis-Skelly FA Cup absence

The 2006-born talent's absence for Mansfield is extremely untimely for Arteta, who is already missing Mikel Merino for months due to a foot injury, while Martin Odegaard remains a doubt with his knee injury.

Furthermore, Declan Rice sustained a knock in the 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend, and even though he was declared fit for Brighton, Arteta would undoubtedly prefer to rest him this weekend.

The Gunners boss should also avoid risking Odegaard if he can help it, and Lewis-Skelly would have been a viable alternative in the left eight role, but he will now have to find an alternative solution.

However, Arteta could simply go with the same midfield three that started against Wigan - Eberechi Eze, Christian Norgaard and Bukayo Saka - with the latter operating in a central role once again.

Saka is due a rest this weekend, though, so Kai Havertz - fresh from a return from a muscular injury - will come into consideration too.

Leandro Trossard and the fit-again Max Dowman could also be trialled in such a position, but with no Lewis-Skelly, no Merino and potentially no Rice or Odegaard, the Havertz midfield experiment seems to be the way forward.