Arsenal might face West Ham United without Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu, although William Saliba could start.
Arsenal will resume their Premier League journey after the World Cup-enforced break. The Gunners host West Ham United at the Emirates on Monday, with Mikel Arteta under pressure to deliver a result without some of his key stars on the pitch.
The headlines were obviously grabbed by the absence of Gabriel Jesus, who will remain sidelined for up to three months after undergoing surgery on his knee. During his pre-match press conference, Arteta was asked about the Brazilian. But the Arsenal manager refused to put a timeframe on his return.
Arsenal vs West Ham United Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Arteta said, “With Gabby [Jesus], it’s very difficult to put a timeframe [on his recovery]. It was a significant injury, and knowing him, I prefer not to give any dates away. It will take some time, for sure. Obviously, he’s going through surgery, so that’s the extent of the injury.”
Meanwhile, Reiss Nelson also picked up an injury during Arsenal’s friendly against Juventus. And the young winger is set to remain sidelined for a few weeks. Oleksandr Zinchenko also remains absent from training and is a significant doubt for the London derby against West Ham.
Other than that, Takehiro Tomiyasu is also a concern, and Arteta might exercise caution over his selection for now. Finally, Arteta confirmed William Saliba’s return, with the Frenchman expected to start against the Hammers.
Aaron Ramsdale is firmly set in goal, while the Gunners will go with their standard back four of Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Kieran Tierney. There have been talks of Tierney probably not being fit, which could force Arteta to select Cedric Soares in his place.
Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are fit to resume their central midfield partnership. Martin Odegaard will play the advanced role ahead of the two midfielders. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have reintegrated themselves into the squad, and they will support Eddie Nketiah, who is set to lead the line in Jesus’s absence.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Nketiah
