In-form Arsenal star tipped for bench against Porto as Jorginho claim emerges

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Journalist Charles Watts has predicted that Jorginho will come into the Arsenal starting XI to face Porto on Wednesday evening.

The reporter asserted that the inclusion of Jorginho would likely come at the expense of Leandro Trossard, with Kai Havertz the probable pick to lead the line for Arsenal in this Champions League clash.

Trossard has been in fine form in recent weeks, and would be unfortunate to miss out. However, Jorginho has also impressed when called upon, and would certainly help Mikel Arteta’s side to wrestle control of the match in the midst of what is likely to be a raucous atmosphere in Portugal.

There has been a clamour recently for Arsenal to extend Jorginho’s stay at the Emirates Stadium, due to his impressive recent performances. If he is given the nod by Arteta for a start in the Champions League round of 16 first leg tie then it will be an excellent opportunity for the 32-year-old to demonstrate his enduring quality once more. 

However, should Havertz be tasked with spearheading the attacking, it will be fascinating to see how he manages without the Belgian by his side. In Arsenal’s last couple of matches, Havertz and Trossard have formed an extremely effective partnership. Breaking that up could cause the German to become isolated and all too easy to mark out of the game, without the former Brighton and Hove Albion man on hand to link up and rotate with.

Will Jorginho or Leandro Trossard make the cut against Porto?

In terms of team selection, though, this is certainly the direction that Charles Watts sees Arteta going in against Porto. Speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube platform, he said, “I think Jorginho might play against Porto, and I would say maybe if that is the case, it might be Kai Havertz up front and Trossard on the bench, and Jorginho comes in with Declan Rice. But I think Trossard certainly comes back for the Newcastle game.”

One thing that is certain is that Gabriel Jesus is unlikely to be restored to the attacking unit. The Brazilian striker was absent during the Gunners’ most recent training session, suggesting that he is still not fit enough for a place in the starting line up.

It will be interesting to see if Jesus, assuming he is fit to do so, comes back into the team for Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League encounter with Newcastle, or if Trossard features against the Magpies in his place, as predicted by Watts. Jesus has been warned that he may struggle to recover his starting spot anytime soon due to the recent form of Trossard.