Martin Odegaard is set to make his full debut and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be in contention to feature when Arsenal face Wolves on Tuesday.
Arsenal will be looking to bounce back to winning ways and continue their unbeaten run in the Premier League when they lock horns with Wolves at the Molineux on Tuesday evening. And, Mikel Arteta has been handed a boost on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Kieran Tierney is now the only confirmed absentee for Arsenal, as he continues to recover from a calf strain. The good news comes in the form of Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s potential availability. In addition, Dani Ceballos and Pablo Mari could come into contention as well, with the quartet set to undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability, as per the official team news.
Arteta also provided an update on Aubameyang, Saka and Tierney during his pre-match press conference. The Arsenal boss said, “We don’t know yet [if Saka or Tierney will return]. Today we’ve got a training session and they haven’t been able to train with us yet, so I think it will be really difficult for them.”
“But I don’t know, we’re going to try to last-minute see how they are feeling. There’s still some things to clear up [before Aubameyang returns]. Maybe yes, maybe no. We don’t know. We’re still doing some paperwork at the moment.”
With so much uncertainty surrounding their possible return, it is highly unlikely that Aubameyang or Saka will start. That means Nicolas Pepe gets another chance to impress, and so will Willian, who should come in for Gabriel Martinelli. Arteta also confirmed that Alexandre Lacazette showed no ill effects of the nasty collision last time out against Manchester United.
Seeing that he is available, Lacazette will continue leading the line for Arsenal against Wolves. Behind him, though, Martin Odegaard could come in for Emile Smith Rowe to make his full debut for Arsenal. The decision also allows Smith Rowe some much-needed rest, with Odegaard reprising the no. 10 role in his stead.
In midfield, with Ceballos still not entirely fit, the double pivot should once again comprise of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, with Mohamed Elneny being a backup option. The defensive line will not see any changes either, with Tierney’s absence meaning that Cedric Soares continues as the left-back.
On the right flank, Hector Bellerin is an automatic pick, while David Luiz should continue to get the nod over Gabriel Magalhaes to pair up with Rob Holding at the heart of the Arsenal defence against Wolves. Finally, in goal, there is no looking past Bernd Leno.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Cedric; Partey, Xhaka; Pepe, Odegaard, Willian; Lacazette
