Arsenal host Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday night.
The Gunners entertain the Parisians at the Emirates, before travelling to the French capital for the second leg at the Parc des Princes next week.
Real Madrid were dismantled by Arsenal over two legs, and the North Londoners will be eager to replicate these excellent performances against PSG.
A place in the final against either Barcelona or Inter Milan awaits Mikel Arteta’s men, with Tuesday night’s clash arguably set to be the biggest match in N5 since the 2009 Champions League semi-final against Manchester United.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs PSG
Arteta has a few key selection decisions to make for the PSG encounter.
Most notably, Thomas Partey is suspended after picking up his third yellow card of the competition away at the Bernabeu.
Meanwhile, Mikel Merino is also a doubt with an injury, and Ben White’s availability is uncertain after he missed the game against Crystal Palace.
If Merino is fit, he’ll likely move deeper into midfield, with Leandro Trossard replacing him up front.
This would push Declan Rice into the six, with the back four likely to be the same as the one Arteta fielded in both legs against Los Blancos.
Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka will all start in their respective positions, while David Raya will retain his place in goal.
If Merino isn’t deemed fit enough to feature, the Gunners may be forced into doing something unconventional.
White coming in at right-back, Jurrien Timber shifting to left-back, and Myles Lewis-Skelly moving into midfield is probably the most plausible solution.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs PSG: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Mikel Arteta could use Oleksandr Zinchenko in midfield against PSG
If Merino is out, then it’s entering dire territory for Arsenal.
The Gunners would be without Partey, Jorginho and Merino – an unprecedented fitness crisis to face in midfield before your biggest game of the season.
While Lewis-Skelly in midfield might be the most likely solution on paper, the teenager has very little experience in the middle of the park at senior level, and thus, Arteta might opt for a more pragmatic solution.
Oleksandr Zinchenko could find his way into the team, with the Ukrainian being used in midfield in recent matches.
PSG’s midfield is slight and technically excellent, so Arteta wouldn’t have to worry too much about losing the physical battle in there with Zinchenko starting.
Far from an ideal solution, but the paucity of options means it could genuinely be on the table if Merino isn’t able to start.
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