Arsenal receive huge triple injury boost for Man City EFL Cup final - it's bad news for Max Dowman

Arsenal have received a late triple injury boost ahead of Sunday's EFL Cup final with Manchester City, as all of Eberechi Eze, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard were pictured in training on Saturday.

All three players had been on Mikel Arteta's touch-and-go list for the showdown with the Citizens at Wembley Stadium, and the head coach unsurprisingly gave nothing away on their fitness levels in his post-game press conference.

Eze sustained a blow to the ankle in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League last-16 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, not long after opening the scoring with a sensational strike at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, right-back Timber sat out that victory due to his own ankle issue, which he picked up in the 2-0 Premier League victory against Everton last weekend.

A few weeks prior, Odegaard returned from a knee injury in the 4-1 North London derby triumph over Tottenham Hotspur, but the Norway international's problem flared up and he has been sidelined ever since.

SUB HEAD

Eberechi Eze & Jurrien Timber in Arsenal training today. ?️‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Xc7gxls1IN

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) March 21, 2026

However, all three players appear to be on course to make the squad on Sunday, as they were all pictured on the London Colney training pitches in Saturday's final session.

As a result, Arsenal's only absentee for the EFL Cup final should be long-term foot victim Mikel Merino, who is working to return from his operation before the end of the season in time for the World Cup.

Arteta will be able to name a 20-man matchday squad for the contest with Pep Guardiola's side, as EFL Cup rules permit nine substitutes to be included on the bench.

If only Merino is missing through injury, though, Arteta will be forced to leave a handful of senior players out of his matchday squad, as has been the case throughout the Premier League campaign.

Which Arsenal players could be snubbed for Man City EFL Cup final?

Odegaard back in training.

Image: Arsenal pic.twitter.com/0lGUZzIKcp

— Jeorge Bird (@jeorgebird) March 21, 2026

Assuming Eze, Odegaard and Timber are all good to go, and Merino will be Arsenal's sole senior omission, Arteta will have 23 players all vying for a spot in the EFL Cup matchday squad.

The Spaniard will therefore have to make some brutal decisions over talented footballers, but one candidate for the chop stands out - 32-year-old midfielder Christian Norgaard.

The Denmark international has been Arsenal's 12th man a couple of times already this season, failing to make the squad against Nottingham Forest or Manchester United in January, before being promoted to the bench against Leeds United after Bukayo Saka's warm-up injury.

Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman has proven his game-changing qualities over the past couple of weeks, but the Premier League's youngest-ever scorer will also be at risk of missing out to his more senior colleagues.

Finally, either Ben White or Myles Lewis-Skelly may also have to watch on from the sidelines, unless Arteta opts not to take a risk with Odegaard in particular.