Arsenal will make the trip to Athens to play out their ‘home’ leg of their two-legged Europa League clash with Benfica today.
The Gunners have a near-full squad of options to choose from for once, with just Rob Holding confirmed as missing.
Alex Runarsson isn’t available after the club decided to remove him from their Europa League quota, adding January arrival Mat Ryan in his place.
Mikel Arteta revealed that Thomas Partey was close to returning on Wednesday, and that he would undergo a final test yesterday to find out if he could play, and Football London reports have confirmed that the midfielder has made the trip to Greece.
The Spaniard also added that the defender Holding was fine, but due to new protocols on head injuries, he has to be assessed and will miss the trip.
“Thomas is very close,” Mikel Arteta told Arsenal Media. “He’s got a final test today in training. If he’s feeling good, he will be available to play the match.
“Regarding Rob, he’s not available. He had a concussion, we tested him and he’s completely fine but obviously now we need to follow the protocols and he won’t be able to travel.”
Predicted Arsenal XI:
Leno
Bellerin Luiz Mari Tierney
Partey Xhaka
Saka Smith Rowe Aubameyang
Lacazette
I believe that Smith Rowe was rested at the weekend with this match in mind, and his return looks highly likely in my eyes.
While I wouldn’t be shocked to see Odegaard or Pepe replace Lacazette in this line-up, I feel that Auba’s inconsistencies of late will see him return to the wider role, with the experienced Lacazette returning to the starting line-up after a break.
Who would you like to see make the line-up tonight?
Patrick