The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Cleveland Browns without Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro and wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
The AFC North-leading Steelers (4-0) ruled both players out for the showdown with the surging Browns (4-1) due to injury.
DeCastro left last Sunday's win over Philadelphia with an abdominal injury and did not practice this week. This marks the third game DeCastro has missed this season. He sat out the opening two weeks while dealing with a knee injury. Rookie fourth-round pick Kevin Doston will start in place of DeCastro.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) walks off the field after being injured during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP PhotoKeith Srakocic)
Johnson, Pittsburgh's second-leading receiver behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, injured his back on a punt return in the first quarter against the Eagles. Johnson sat out Wednesday's practice and was a limited participant on Thursday before sitting out again on Friday. Johnson's absence means more snaps for both rookie Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McLoud. Claypool is coming off a four-touchdown performance against Philadelphia.
All the other players who missed portions of practice this week, including center Maurkice Pouncey (foot) and tight end Eric Ebron (hand), are expected to play.
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LONDON (AP) — Newly installed Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior rejected the notion that Arsenal was “taking the game back in time” by focusing heavily on set plays under Mikel Arteta.
“I don’t know who’s calling them ‘Set Piece FC’ — I'm definitely not,” Rosenior said Monday, two days out from the teams' first-leg meeting in the English League Cup semifinals at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal leads the Premier League by six points, also tops the Champions League after six victories from six in the league phase, and is showing few weaknesses in its bid for a first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020 at the end of Arteta's first season in charge.
Set pieces is an area Arteta has worked hard on mastering and Arsenal is among the most dangerous teams in England in this facet of the game, especially now Brazil center back Gabriel Magalhaes is back fit.
“Arsenal are good at everything,” Rosenior said. “They’re a good team. It’s not about taking the game back in time. You manage your 1% to be as good a team to win as many different ways as possible.”
“They’re a team who are very good without the ball,” added Rosenior, who was hired last week as a replacement for the departed Enzo Maresca. “They have a really, really clear idea in the way they want to play with the ball. And on top of that, they’re very, very well organized with good delivery on set plays. That’s what you want to be if you want to be successful.”
Rosenior's first match in charge was a 5-1 win over second-tier Charlton Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
He left out England internationals Cole Palmer and Reece James because their fitness is “being managed,” Rosenior said, and they could return against Arsenal.
The second leg will be at Arsenal on Feb. 3.
Newcastle vs. Manchester City is the other semifinal matchup. The first leg is at Newcastle on Tuesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta talks to Noni Madueke during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Chelsea's head coach Liam Rosenior walks before the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Chelsea in London, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
