Mikel Arteta will have to tinker with the Arsenal starting lineup due to the injury to Thomas Partey, as Jorginho could start.
Arsenal have made a relatively slow start to their season, as the draw against Fulham worried the fans a bit. So far, they have looked ready to compete at the highest level. Still, Mikel Arteta will want a dominant performance from his players against Manchester United, which might boost their confidence.
Discussions on transfer dealings on deadline day dominated Arteta’s pre-match press conference, but the Gunners boss also spoke about Zinchenko after the left-back returned from injury. He also highlighted why Arsenal did not dip into the market after Timber’s injury. But there was nothing about Thomas Partey, as his injury happened very recently.
On Zinchenko, Arteta said, “He is a really important player, but so is Jurrien. What he was giving us in those first few games was incredible. But he’s not there, so we have to do something else. And if we have another injury, we have to do something else.”
Arteta also highlighted why Arsenal did not sign a replacement after Timber’s injury, insisting signing new players does not necessarily solve all problems.
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He said, “Well, we’ve done quite a lot and obviously we have a lot of uncertainty over a lot of players as well, so we have to be very cautious and find alternatives and ways. Sometimes you want to do everything that is needed, but sometimes it’s not possible and we have to adapt.”
News-wise, the injury Partey suffered during training has made some fans anxious on social media. The Ghanaian midfielder remains an important player and started all three games thus far at right-back. However, his absence will force Arteta into tinkering with his squad, especially the backline and central midfield.
As a result, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhaes could make their first starts of the season, with Ben White moving to his customary right-back slot. The midfield is where Arteta must make a firm decision, especially now that Partey will miss a few weeks of action.
Either Arteta goes with an unchanged midfield of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz or starts a double pivot of Rice and Jorginho, with the Norwegian playmaker in the advanced role. Ideally, the latter idea would suit a game of this magnitude, with the German attacker an option off the bench.
There is also a battle between an in-form Eddie Nketiah and the fit-again Gabriel Jesus. The former has scored two goals already this season and earned his maiden England call-up, but the Brazilian provides a different dimension in the attack.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
