Arsenal take on Club Brugge on the road in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
The Gunners saw their 18-match unbeaten streak end after a dramatic 2-1 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa last weekend.
The club’s focus will now turn to the Champions League, where they are scheduled to face Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
We anticipate manager Mikel Arteta to make at least six changes, given the heavy workload over the past few months.
The likes of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Bukayo Saka should be given breathers on the bench.
Arsenal are presently top of the league phase of the Champions League with 15 points, three ahead of the chasing pack.
The game offers Arteta a perfect opportunity to rotate his squad and keep key players fresh for future challenges.
Here are six changes Arteta could make.
Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back
Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for the Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign at Villa Park.
Myles Lewis-Skelly will replace Calafiori at left-back this weekend. We also anticipate him to start against Club Brugge, having made the first XI in three of the previous four European games.
Calafiori was spotted leaving Villa Park with a ‘quite pronounced limp’, as per James Benge. We believe the Italian should only come on as a substitute for Lewis-Skelly in midweek if required.
Christian Norgaard & Ethan Nwaneri in midfield
Declan Rice made a stunning 21 defensive contributions against Villa last weekend. He looked absolutely jaded and distraught after the last-gasp loss. He should be completely rested.
The Englishman has started regularly for Arsenal in every competition this term and has been ever-present for the Three Lions too. It appears the ideal game to keep him out of the XI.
Similarly, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard should be given breathers. Odegaard has just returned from a third injury of the season, and we won’t be surprised if he features on the bench.
We anticipate Christian Norgaard to come in for Zubimendi in the number six role. Mikel Merino could drop into central midfield on Wednesday, with Ethan Nwaneri operating as the attacking midfielder.
New-look front three
There could be a new-look front three against the Belgian outfit. As said previously, we would keep Saka on the bench. This would obviously mean Noni Madueke getting the nod on the right wing.
The former Chelsea man scored his maiden Gunners goal in the 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.
Viktor Gyokeres looks poised to make his first start in over a month after three substitute appearances. The Swede has a big point to prove, having found himself playing second fiddle to Merino upfront lately.
Eberechi Eze had a forgettable outing on Saturday, and his poor man-marking contributed to Matty Cash’s opening goal. He was substituted at the half-time interval along with Merino.
Eze could likewise start on the bench on Wednesday as part of the rotation. We fancy Gabriel Martinelli to get the nod on the left wing ahead of Leandro Trossard, who does not appear fully fit.
The Belgian continued his brilliant form with an 11th goal contribution of the season at Villa Park. Despite being a substitute, he was taken off in the 86th minute as he was feeling his calf.
The 31-year-old is unlikely to be risked from the starting XI against Club Brugge. Martinelli has been a revelation in the Champions League this season, scoring in his last four appearances.
Elsewhere, David Raya, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie are expected to keep their places.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera, and Kai Havertz are sidelined until the New Year with injuries, but it is still uncertain whether William Saliba will be fit to return on Wednesday night.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com