Arsenal Faces Ipswich Town in EFL Cup with Key Defenders Missing

Arsenal’s perfect start to the season meets its first cup test on Wednesday night, with Mikel Arteta’s side heading to Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup – but they do so without several key defenders.

The Premier League leaders have opened the 2026-27 campaign in relentless fashion, winning all five of their matches in all competitions. Momentum is on their side. So is expectation. After falling 2-0 to Manchester City in last season’s EFL Cup final, Arsenal know exactly what this competition can cost them – and what it could mean if they finally lift it.

Arteta has made no secret of his ambition to chase everything: the league title, and the domestic cups alongside it. Yet his back line is already being tested.

Timber left out as a precaution

When the team sheets dropped, one name stood out by its absence. Jurrien Timber did not even make the bench at Portman Road.

The Dutch defender only just returned to first-team action last week after a long spell out with a groin injury, coming on as a substitute for Ben White. His return had been a quiet boost for Arsenal’s depth, especially with the schedule about to tighten.

So his omission raised eyebrows. According to BBC Sport, though, the decision to leave Timber out is precautionary and not related to any fresh setback with his long-term groin problem. No new injury, no relapse – just caution.

Given his recent history, that stance is hardly surprising. Timber missed the 2026 World Cup because of the same groin issue and played no part in Arsenal’s pre-season. After months of rehab and frustration, the club are not about to rush him through a midweek cup tie. They want him fully fit for the months that really define a season.

Ben White joins defensive injury list

If Timber’s absence is planned, Ben White’s is anything but.

The defender misses the Ipswich clash after suffering a muscular problem in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Sunderland. Early indications point towards a groin injury, though the full extent has not yet been confirmed.

It leaves Arteta without one of his most reliable performers at a time when options are already thin. White’s versatility on the right and in central areas has underpinned much of Arsenal’s defensive structure. Losing him, even briefly, shifts the puzzle.

The concerns do not stop there. William Saliba remains sidelined, and Cristhian Mosquera is also out of contention for the trip to Ipswich. The expectation is that Mosquera has a better chance of returning after the upcoming international break, but that does nothing for Arteta’s immediate selection headache.

So Arsenal arrive in Suffolk flying high, unbeaten, and brimming with confidence – yet short of defenders and wary of pushing those only just back from injury. The league leaders want revenge for last season’s EFL Cup heartbreak. The question now is whether their patched-up back line can carry them through another deep run.