Unai Emery will be expecting a response from his team and in addition to Sokratis being back from suspension, there could be changes in midfield and attack.
Unai Emery’s team selection decisions against Crystal Palace were rather odd. His side comprehensively lost the match, with the chosen players underperforming in their respective departments. Emery will be expected to set the record straight and make amends when it comes to his team selection for Wolves.
Aaron Ramsey and Denis Suarez remain out of contention for the game, along with other long-term absentees. Ramsey is yet to recover from his hamstring problem suffered last week, while Suarez is nursing a groin problem. On the other end, Sokratis is back from his two-game suspension, and fans will be delighted at this news as the Greek defender is expected to slot straight into the starting lineup.
Sokratis’ return could mean Shkodran Mustafi’s time in the starting XI is over for now and the Greek will take his place on the right side of the back-three. Laurent Koscielny is expected to be the central figure in the three-man defensive line, with Nacho Monreal on the left.
Bernd Leno is the starting goalkeeper in the Premier League, and his recent performances have done nothing to harm his chances of starting games. Ainsley Maitland-Niles will undoubtedly return to his right wing-back role, taking over from Carl Jenkinson, while Sead Kolasinac will start on the opposite flank
With the defence more or less clear, the focus was on Emery’s midfield selection after a rather unpopular choice of Mohamed Elneny and Matteo Guendouzi started last Sunday. Granit Xhaka is also the centre of attention, for the midfielder missed the Palace game and it’s still unsure if he would feature against Wolves. The team news section on Arsenal’s official website did say he will be assessed before the match.
Emery was explicitly asked about the Swiss midfielder, and he did keep things under the wraps regarding any update as he said, “I want to keep all information to myself for tomorrow. Sorry, I think it’s better for us. It’s because maybe I don’t want to be clear on how the players are. I prefer it. It’s not you, it’s for our opposition.”
Xhaka did train before the game and could make a return to the starting lineup, as Emery eyes some changes to his side after the Crystal Palace loss. His partner in central midfield is likely to be Lucas Torreira, as Emery will look to add some steel in the middle, especially considering the away game and its importance.
There could be significant changes to the front three. Mesut Ozil will likely make way for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to take his place. The Armenian has shown defensive awareness in recent games, and in an away fixture like this one, it would be a bonus.
Alex Iwobi also impressed enough to earn a starting spot, while there could be a tussle to select the central striker, who should be Alexandre Lacazette, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seeing his minutes being managed amid a fixture pile-up.
