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LONDON. — Arsenal are looking to make some emergency loan signings after being hit by more Covid-19 cases ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool tomorrow.

Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also injury doubts leaving Mikel Arteta’s squad looking worryingly thin.

The decision to allow Ainsley Maitland-Niles to join Roma on loan has already backfired after Granit Xhaka tested positive for Covid at the weekend.

That means Albert Sambi-Lokonga and 18-year-old rookie Charlie Patino will be the only central midfield players available for tomorrow’s trip to Anfield.

Manager Arteta is already sweating on Xhaka recovering from his second bout of the virus in time for Sunday’s crucial North London derby away to Spurs.

Xhaka, who refused to be vaccinated before he tested positive while on international duty with Switzerland last September, is currently in isolation along with striker Folarin Balogun.

And even though he is due out of quarantine before the weekend, he will have missed a whole week’s training in the build-up to the game against sixth-placed Spurs.

But with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny both away at the African Cup of Nations, Arteta is desperately hoping to strengthen his squad with an emergency loan signing.

He knows it is crucial for his team to hold their nerve following back to back defeats by Manchester City in the Premier League and Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

But with the Spurs game sandwiched between the two legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final, the next ten days could have a huge bearing on Arsenal’s ambitions to win a trophy and secure a top four finish.

Arteta was deeply unimpressed by his players’ efforts during Sunday’s shock FA Cup exit against Forest.

No-one struggled more than teenagee rookie Patino, who was substituted 20 minutes from the end of his first start for the club. — The Sun.