Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Arsenal could line up for Wednesday’s Champions League Group B clash with Lens.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta will be boosted by the return of two players for Wednesday’s Champions League Group B clash with Lens at the Emirates.
Needing just one more point to guarantee a last-16 place, the Gunners will welcome back Fabio Vieira and David Raya, both of whom were ineligible to face Brentford in the weekend’s Premier League affair.
While a spot on the bench awaits Vieira, who is serving a domestic ban, Raya can expect an immediate recall over Aaron Ramsdale, who did not cover himself in glory against the Spaniard’s parent club on Saturday.
Raya should be deployed behind a familiar-looking backline of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, although the injury-plagued Takehiro Tomiyasu has played a lot of football in recent weeks, so a fit-again Ben White is a viable alternative.
As ever, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice will take up two spots in the midfield triumvirate, and Kai Havertz may have done enough to nab the third spot on account of his 89th-minute winner off the bench against Brentford.
A potential recall for Havertz would push Leandro Trossard further forward – where he was highly effective against Sevilla on matchday four – and the Belgian could revert to an attacking role this week, as Arteta may not risk Gabriel Jesus twice in quick succession following his recent recovery from a hamstring concern.
Trossard’s supporting cast should comprise Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, the latter of whom was the victim of some rough Sevilla treatment three weeks ago but still managed to contribute a goal and assist to that 2-0 beating.
Arsenal possible starting lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
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