Martin Zubimendi will not find a spot in the Arsenal starting lineup again when they take on West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal will be eager to inch closer to the 2025/26 Premier League title when they lock horns with West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday evening. Mikel Arteta has no new injury concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The North London club’s fitness issues have eased considerably in the last ten days, and the Spanish tactician could call upon Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid earlier this week.
So, Jurrien Timber (groin) and Mikel Merino (foot) are the only players on the sidelines for the away side. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta provided fitness updates on Timber and Merino.
The Arsenal manager said, “No chance for the weekend [for Timber and Merino]. There’s still a fair bit to do [in their recoveries]. Everything has to be so smooth and quick if they want to have a chance to play any minutes [this season].”
“That’s been probably the most difficult thing to manage with the player [Timber], with myself as well [the unexpected length of his absence]. We didn’t expect it to take so long, and at the moment, he’s not fit to play.”
Meanwhile, Arteta discussed the improved chemistry between Ben White and Bukayo Saka on the right flank. The Arsenal boss said, “When you talk about the right units, I think the amount of minutes that they’ve played this season has been extremely low for different circumstances. It’s great that they have a really good connection, a really good understanding, they have played many years together and you can sense that and notice that in a really positive way.”
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 West Ham United on Sunday. The backline will feature Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Riccardo Calafiori.
As for the midfield unit, Myles Lewis-Skelly will get the nod over Martin Zubimendi again to become Declan Rice’s central midfield partner. Eberechi Eze will reprise the no. 10 role, with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard being the two wide attackers. Finally, Viktor Gyokeres will lead the line for the away side against West Ham. So, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, and Gabriel Jesus will be among the backup options on the bench.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres
