The Arsenal team expected to start against Como in their fourth friendly of the summer
Bruno Guimaraes could make his debut for Arsenal against Como
Bruno Guimaraes could make his debut for Arsenal against Como(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Arsenal are due to play against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their fifth pre-season friendly of the summer. This could be the first chance that the Gunners supporters get to see Bruno Guimaraes in an Arsenal shirt.
There is also good news that several big players have returned to Arsenal, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze, among others. Fabregas making his return to the Emirates is also due to see plenty of interest in the crowd’s reaction.
But the main focus is getting back to winning ways after defeats to both Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund. With Manchester City on Sunday in the Community Shield, there has been concern amongst supporters about the readiness of the group.
Here is who football.london believes will start against the Italian club:
David Raya
Spotted warming up ahead of the clash with Dortmund, the Spanish keeper did not feature much at the World Cup, and is in good condition to return.
Ben White
Mikel Arteta has admitted that Jurrien Timber is out for weeks still, and so the pressure falls on Ben White to continue at right-back.
Cristhian Mosquera
Unless Arsenal make a big defensive signing before the start of the season, it appears that the Spaniard will begin the season in the back four and needs this preparation before the season begins.
Gabriel
In real need of more minutes to regain his sharpness following a tough time against Borussia Dortmund.
Riccardo Calafiori
The Italian appears to be the first choice left-back despite the return of Piero Hincapie, and will provide the offensive aspect of the back line.
Bruno Guimaraes
While not expected to play in the No.6 role for most of the season, Bruno Guimaraes will likely start here until Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi get up to speed.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
This then allows Myles Lewis-Skelly the opportunity to play in his natural box-to-box role, where hopefully he can flourish.
Martin Odegaard
A great 30 minutes against Borussia Dortmund, and now he needs to build on that and show why he remains so key to the team.
Max Dowman
With Saka coming back, Max’s chances to start might now diminish, but there is no doubt the starlet is going to get plenty of game time this season.
Kai Havertz
The battle for the starting position is about to begin in the No.9 role, but we know from the Champions League final that Havertz appears to have the edge.
Christos Tzolis
The man in form, and the question is: will he be able to make it five-goal contributions in five games?