BREAKING: Arteta and mind games as Mikel Merino back in leaked Arsenal XI from injury today to face Man city – congratulations Arsenal fans
BREAKING: Arteta and mind games as Mikel Merino back in leaked Arsenal XI from injury today to face Man city – congratulations Arsenal fans
Arsenal are not expected to have any fresh injury concerns for their huge Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday.
The Gunners took on Atalanta in their Champions League opener in Italy on Thursday night, drawing 0-0, and came through that game unscathed
Asked on Friday morning if he had any fresh injury concerns, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: “Not really.
“Straight away after the match – recover, sleep, eat well and everybody is looking forward to the match [on Sunday].”
Arteta will be pleased with that as he is already without five first-team players for Sunday’s showdown at the Etihad Stadium.
Kieran Tierney, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all out injured, though Declan Rice is back after serving a one-match suspension in the north London derby win over Tottenham last weekend.
The absence of Odegaard is a particular blow, with Arteta confirming this week that Arsenal will be without their influential captain for “a while” due to an ankle injury suffered on international duty with Norway earlier this month that has now been described as “significant”.
Kai Havertz played in midfield against Atalanta in place of Odegaard and is likely to operate there again on Sunday.
The defence is expected to be unchanged for the fifth game in row after keeping yet another clean sheet in Italy, but Arteta faces a dilemma as to who plays in front of them.
Thomas Partey struggled in the Champions League, giving away a penalty that led to David Raya’s sublime double save, and he was hooked for Jorginho before the hour mark.
Gabriel Jesus similarly had a difficult night and was also substituted before the hour, replaced by Leandro Trossard.
Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Havertz, Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Doubts: None
Injured: Merino (shoulder), Odegaard (ankle), Tierney (hamstring), Tomiyasu (knee), Zinchenko (calf)
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Referee: Michael Oliver
Arsenal squad from: Neto, Raya; Calafiori, Gabriel, Heaven, Kiwior, Saliba, Timber, White; Havertz, Jorginho, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Partey, Rice; Jesus, Martinelli, Saka, Sterling and Trossard
