Six players could miss Arsenal vs Man United, de Ligt and Calafiori among absentees

Manchester United will be missing Matthijs de Ligt after Michael Carrick confirmed the Dutch defender has suffered a setback in his recovery.

"He had a bit of setback before I arrived, only small. He was a little bit slower than we had liked.

"He's getting closer. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks he will be back and around it." Carrick shared about de Ligt's situation.

Joshua Zirkzee is also set to miss the trip to the capital as speculation over his future continues. The Dutch forward was forced off during the win over Manchester City with a minor injury and has not been involved in preparations ahead of the Arsenal clash.

Alongside Zirkzee and de Ligt, Manchester United will also be without the services of Max Dowman for this match, with the young prospect still sidelined after suffering an ankle ligament injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

A renewed sense of positivity has swept through Manchester United after their impressive win over Manchester City during Michael Carrick’s second spell as caretaker manager. The Red Devils could break into the top four if results fall their way, with Liverpool facing a difficult away trip to Bournemouth.

Arsenal face a battle against time to have Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori available for Sunday’s fixture, with both defenders back in training on Friday.

Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury during the warm-up ahead of December’s win over Brighton. The defender has missed the last eight games in all competitions with a muscle issue, but has been steadily working his way back to full fitness.

Hincapie, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, has been sidelined since he was forced off during the goalless draw with reigning champions Liverpool earlier this month.

Another key player on the sidelines is Kai Havertz. The Germany international suffered ligament damage in the season opener and has been absent from the starting XI since August. That said, the club is unlikely to take any further risks in a tough clash like this.

Arsenal owe a thanks to Manchester United after the Red Devils defeated their city rivals Manchester City in the previous round, giving the London side a major advantage as City are their closest challengers.

Manchester United have 35 points and sit fifth in the table, just one point behind Liverpool. Playing away at the Emirates against the league leaders will be a tough challenge, but if Michael Carrick’s side maintain the sharpness and concentration they showed against Manchester City, they could well come out on top.