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Gabriel return, Mikel Merino start, Raheem Sterling opportunity - Arsenal changes vs Monaco

Only time will tell how damaging Sunday's 1-1 draw with Fulham will be for Arsenal's title hopes. The Gunners had gained ground on Liverpool and midweek and with the Reds' game against Everton called off due to Storm Darragh it was the perfect chance to pile the pressure on even further.

Instead, Mikel Arteta's men fell behind early to a superbly-taken Raul Jimenez strike, and despite dominating the match, they were able only to salvage a draw at Craven Cottage. Bukayo Saka thought he'd won it late on, but VAR intervened to prove that Gabriel Martinelli had been offside in the build up.

"We really wanted it," Arteta said of the chance to put the pressure on Liverpool. "We have good momentum and it was a really crucial moment for us to go for it. We certainly did. We certainly tried and we were so close to doing it. Unfortunately we didn't manage to achieve it."

Now the Gunners must turn their attentions elsewhere. Wednesday sees them take on Monaco in the Champions League. A win would mean Arsenal take a huge step closer towards automatic qualification for the round of 16, and Arteta won't want the extra games that come with a playoff if he can avoid them.

With that in mind, the Spaniard has plenty of big decisions to make. The first of those is what do with his backline.

Arsenal fielded their ninth separate back four in just 15 Premier League games this season on Sunday as Oleksandr Zinchenko joined Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori on the injured list. Arteta did not rule out the possibility of them returning in midweek. "I hope [they can return]," he said at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

"But it's more a question for the doctors and physios to understand where we are. We are missing a lot of players in the backline. The good thing is that whatever we put there they respond. They respond with a good attitude and performance."

A late decision will be made on all three, but if Arsenal are forced to stick with Jurrien Timber at left-back and Thomas Partey at right-back, then Arteta may consider making some tweaks to the midfield.

Declan Rice had a superb game at Fulham and showed his versatility dropping in to the No.6 position having started in the No.8. If he is deployed deeper, then Mikel Merino could come in to start ahead of Jorginho.

In the forward line, there is a big decision to make over the left flank. Gabriel Martinelli was inexcusably offside in the build up to what should have been Saka's late winner against Fulham, but Leandro Trossard didn't exactly wow from the start. Perhaps it could be a game for Raheem Sterling, who Arteta has said he wants to see more of.

In the centre-forward position, meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus has started as many games in the Champions League as he has in the league this season. The Brazilian has a great record in this competition and may well be favoured over Kai Havertz.

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