This archive report was first published on 21 December 2021.
On December 21, 2021, Arsenal announced that defenders Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers, and midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga would be absent from the League Cup quarter-final against Sunderland due to COVID-19.
Midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles was also absent, but his absence was attributed to illness not related to COVID-19.
The Premier League had reported a record 90 new COVID-19 cases among players and staff in the past week, prompting concerns about the escalating crisis.
