Arsenal predicted XI vs Man City could feature Bruno Guimaraes from the start as Mikel Arteta prepares for Sunday’s Community Shield showdown in Cardiff.
The £75million midfielder made his first Arsenal appearance against Como on Wednesday, playing the second half of the 1-1 draw before converting in the Gunners’ 4-3 penalty shootout win.
Guimaraes is now in contention for his competitive debut at the Principality Stadium as Arsenal look to begin the new season with silverware.
The London Standard reports that Guimaraes is in line to feature prominently against Manchester City.
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Arsenal predicted XI vs Man City
Arteta’s biggest concerns remain in defence.
William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are both sidelined, leaving Arsenal short of established options at centre-back. Cristhian Mosquera is currently considered the favourite to partner Gabriel Magalhaes, although academy defender Marli Salmon impressed throughout pre-season.
Ben White should therefore continue at right-back, with Piero Hincapie a strong candidate to start on the opposite side.
Midfield could provide the most interesting selection call.
Guimaraes is pushing to start after getting 45 minutes against Como, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is also expected to be involved from the beginning. Captain Martin Odegaard should retain his place as Arteta balances players who have completed a full pre-season with those returning later from the World Cup.
ReadArsenal looked at Guimaraes’ first appearance against Como after his big-money move from Newcastle United.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice have returned to training but have not played any pre-season minutes. The latest team-news reporting suggests both could make Sunday’s squad, although starting either immediately would represent a significant step up in workload.
Kai Havertz is being tipped to lead the line, with Arteta having several options around him following Arsenal’s summer recruitment.
Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis could therefore start either side of Havertz if Saka is initially held back.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapie; Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Madueke, Havertz, Tzolis.
Sunday’s team selection should give the clearest indication yet of how Arteta intends to begin Arsenal’s title defence, particularly in midfield following Guimaraes’ arrival.
Supporters can find how to watch Arsenal v Man City, including the UK TV channel and 3pm BST kick-off time on ReadArsenal.
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