Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard will return to the Arsenal starting lineup when they host Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday.
Arsenal will be eager to reopen the seven-point gap atop the Premier League table when they welcome Manchester United to the Emirates on Sunday evening. Mikel Arteta has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The Spanish tactician is on the cusp of having a full-strength squad, possibly for the first time this season, as Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie have stepped up their recoveries from muscular injuries. Additionally, Kai Havertz has continued to regain his fitness.
So, Max Dowman (ankle) is the only player on the sidelines, with the youngster anyway a backup player this term. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta provided fitness updates on Calafiori, Hincapie, and Havertz.
The Arsenal boss said, “We still have another training session, so we’ll see tomorrow, after that, to assess everybody and make a decision, first of all in the squad. Well, he [Havertz] is very close. Obviously, he has been out for a long time, almost a year, for different reasons, and now we have to be very smart in the manner that we manage that load, the minutes.”
“I am sure in the next few weeks he is going to play in minutes. I cannot tell you which competition because that will depend as well on the game context, and it is a context that is positive to throw him in or not with his qualities. It is great that we have him. We can use him in different positions. We will see him in different positions and we are really happy to have him.”
David Raya is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Arsenal lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Manchester United on Sunday. The backline will feature Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Piero Hincapie. Riccardo Calafiori may also be an option to return to the left-back berth if he is fit enough to start.
As for the midfield unit, Declan Rice will pair up with Martin Zubimendi in the double pivot, with Martin Odegaard reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Gabriel Jesus may continue as the central striker, with Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka being the two wide attackers. So, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres will be backup options on the bench.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Jesus
