Kepa Arrizabalaga will make his first appearance for Arsenal this season when they take on Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Tuesday.
Arsenal will aim to secure a spot in the EFL Cup fourth round when they lock horns with Ipswich Town at Portman Road in a third-round tie on Tuesday night. Mikel Arteta has no new fitness issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
William Saliba remains a long-term absentee due to a back injury that will keep him in the treatment room for a few more months. Cristhian Mosquera is the only other absentee, with the young Spanish centre-back recovering from a hamstring complaint.
There have been concerns about Ben White after Arteta withdrew him at half-time in the Premier League clash with Sunderland this past weekend, but he is not injured. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, the Spanish tactician did not provide a fitness update on any player. Instead, he discussed his squad’s mindset and a possible start for Max Dowman.
The Arsenal manager said, “We’ll look at the players’ eyes and they will say they want to play, and ‘I want to win a game, and I want to improve.’ They will review the [Sunderland] game, and they will be willing for more because I know the boys.”
“He [Dowman] will have his chance. He will have his minutes, and he will have to earn them like anybody else. We know the talent that we have, we know the players that we have there, and we need to help him and find a way to make sure that he continues to develop and help the team.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga will replace David Raya between the sticks, with Arsenal lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Ipswich Town on Tuesday. The backline will feature Jurrien Timber, Ezri Konsa, Piero Hincapie, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, with the latter making a rare start as a left-back.
As for the midfield unit, Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes should pair up in the double pivot, with Mikel Merino reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Viktor Gyokeres will lead the line for the away side, with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Kepa; Timber, Konsa, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Guimaraes; Madueke, Merino, Eze; Gyokeres