Arsenal will return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest, and will be desperate for a win to get their season back on track.
Mikel Arteta’s side failed to win any of their four Premier League games before the international break, and are now level on points with Nottingham Forest ahead of their clash.
Arsenal struggled without captain Martin Odegaard in recent months, but the midfielder returned to start at Chelsea in the final match before the break, and provided an assist for Gabriel Martinelli to score.
There are several other injury boosts elsewhere within the squad, and this could now mean that Arsenal play their most balanced lineup, which could see one highly-performing player dropped.
Arsenal team and injury news vs Nottingham Forest
Arteta revealed that Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu will be absent for the long-term, with Arsenal’s options at right-back now limited.
However, Riccardo Calafiori is now available for selection, whilst there were positive signs that Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka would be fit to face Forest.
In a bid to fix Arsenal’s dire form, the return of Odegaard, as well as the injury boosts over Rice and Calafiori, could see Arteta make a surprising change to his lineup.
Arteta to drop Thomas Partey vs Nottingham Forest?
Thomas Partey has been one of Arsenal’s best players in recent weeks, but the overall cohesion within the team has been lacking.
Partey’s presence at the base of midfield means that Rice has been pushed further forward, but with Odegaard and Mikel Merino now both fit, Arteta may now want to trial a trio with those two playing ahead of Rice in a more balanced setup.
Jurrien Timber could come in for White at right-back, with Partey benched despite his strong recent form.
This could be necessary, as the Ghanaian may be needed at right-back in the coming months, and this would keep him fresh ahead of a busy fixture schedule.
Arsenal predicted XI vs Nottingham Forest
Arsenal will now be able to field a well-balanced XI with most of their best players despite the absence of White, and fans will be eager to see whether this leads to an immediate upturn in performances.
The front three almost writes itself, if Saka is deemed fit enough to play, but if the Englishman is ready to return, then Arsenal will be able to put out a very strong XI indeed.
Arsenal predicted XI vs Nottingham Forest: David Raya; Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori; Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino; Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli.
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