Sport
Mikel Arteta Says David Raya Might Not Be Ready for Sunday’s Man City Match
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that goalkeeper David Raya might not be available for Sunday’s highly anticipated Premier League clash against Manchester City.
Raya was absent during Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Girona in the Champions League, with Arteta opting for experienced shot-stopper Neto in his place.
The 34-year-old, who joined Arsenal on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, made his debut but had a shaky start. He was caught off guard in the 28th minute when Arnaut Danjuma capitalized on a mistake to put Girona ahead
Despite the early setback, Arsenal responded well. Jorginho leveled the score from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, while teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri sealed the win with a stunning goal, showcasing why he’s one of the club’s most exciting young talents.
Arteta remained tight-lipped about the details of Raya’s injury but confirmed that the Spanish goalkeeper was unable to play. “He certainly could not play, and he’s injured, and that’s it. We’ll see how it improves,” he told reporters after the match.
When asked if Neto could step up as a long-term replacement, Arteta expressed confidence in the veteran keeper.
“Yes, that’s why he’s here, to do that job, and he’s done it for 20-odd years in his career, he said. I’m very happy, first of all, that he played.
It’s been seven, eight months since his last competitive game, and it’s not easy, so I’m very happy that he played and we won again.”
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
