How Arsenal could line up against bitter rivals Tottenham with ex-England man making only third Prem start of season
ARSENAL host fierce rivals Tottenham this evening with boss Mikel Arteta having plenty of key decisions to ponder.
The Gunners go into the match with the right side of their attack having been decimated by injury.
Bukayo Saka remains a long-term absentee with a hamstring injury, while Ethan Nwaneri also has a muscular injury.
Gabriel Jesus became their latest attacker to be struck by the injury bug on Sunday, when he was taken off on a stretcher with an ACL issue.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will have little sympathy for Arteta, with the Lilywhites having plenty of injury issues of their own.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard will have his work cut out in selecting the correct combination up front.
Gabriel Martinelli would seem a shoo-in to start on the left flank, with Kai Havertz likely to continue down the middle.
The right wing is harder to predict, given Arsenal‘s injury issues.
Raheem Sterling replaced Jesus on Sunday, and could come in to make just his third Premier League start for the Gunners.
Arteta could alternatively turn to Leandro Trossard.
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Arsenal’s goalkeeper and centre-backs pick themselves, with David Raya, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes to start.
Jurrien Timber is likely to begin at right-back, although Arteta could go for Thomas Partey.
Myles Lewis-Skelly may get the nod over Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.
Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are certainties to start in Arsenal’s midfield three – and could be partnered by any of Partey, Mikel Merino or even Kai Havertz.
Should Havertz play in midfield, Sterling could be an option to fill in up front.
In addition to Saka, Nwaneri and Jesus, Arsenal also have defensive injuries to deal with.
Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori are all out with knee injuries.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have several absentees of their own.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is out, as well as defenders Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.
Ben Davies has returned to training, but is unlikely to feature.
Rodrigo Bentancur remains sidelined with concussion protocols, while Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner will miss out with muscular issues.
Richarlison could make his return following three months out with a hamstring injury.