Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel will return to the lineup while Bukayo Saka should also start when Arsenal face Manchester United on Sunday.
Arsenal will be aiming to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they lock horns with bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend.
Having lost their last two Premier League encounters, the Gunners bounced back with a 3-0 win over Dundalk in the UEFA Europa League and will be hoping to build on that performance. And the fact that there are no fresh injury concerns will be a boost for the north London outfit.
However, manager Mikel Arteta will be sweating over the fitness of key defender David Luiz, who missed the last game with an injury. Apart from the Brazilian, Arsenal will also be without Calum Chambers, Rob Holding and Pablo Mari, while Gabriel Martinelli is also unlikely to be involved, even though he started full training this week.
? Arsenal Training Centre
Back to it ahead of #MUNARS ? pic.twitter.com/gr5BBdaBQD
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 31, 2020
There will be plenty of changes made to the side from the midweek, while a formation change to 4-3-3 could also be on the cards for Arsenal when they travel to Old Trafford. Starting from goal, Bernd Leno should reclaim his spot under the woodwork after sitting out the Europa League clash.
Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney, both of whom did not start on Thursday, ought to return to the starting XI, slotting in as the full-backs on the right and left sides respectively. Gabriel Magalhaes has impressed since joining the Gunners in the summer and should start alongside Shkodran Mustafi at the heart of the defence.
Marquee signing Thomas Partey has shown glimpses of his abilities so far and ought to start on Sunday after not featuring in midweek. He will be key for Arsenal if they are to contain the dangerous Bruno Fernandes. The Ghanaian will be supported by Granit Xhaka in the centre, with Dani Ceballos expected to complete the midfield trifecta.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s form has been a major concern for Arsenal heading into the game. The striker has gone without scoring for five games in a row, which has led to calls for Arteta to use him in a central role.
Addressing the matter, the manager said in his press conference: “It’s one of the options that we have for sure in the team, to evolve it. The moment he doesn’t score in three or four games, people will say, ‘He needs to play more central’. It was great for him to play on the left because he wasn’t picked up by central defenders. There was more freedom for him to do that.”
The Gunners’ skipper is likely to continue on the left flank for the time being, while Bukayo Saka is expected to start on the right, after not featuring in midweek. The youngster will be replacing Nicolas Pepe in the lineup, even though the Ivorian was on the scoresheet against Dundalk. Alexandre Lacazette will operate as the centre-forward ahead of Eddie Nketiah.
Arsenal Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney; Ceballos, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
