Arsene Wenger has provided the latest team news ahead of Wednesday night’s clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Hull, Arsenal are without Lucas Perez who misses the game with a slight hamstring issue.
Beyond that there don’t appear to be any other injury problems. The Gunners welcome back Granit Xhaka to the squad who has been suspended for domestic fixtures following his red card against Burnley in January.
Wenger will have decide whether or not to start him, and with whom he might pair the Swiss international. There are suggestions of a midfield three with Mesut Ozil pushed to the left hand side, but time will tell.
Per Mertesacker has travelled with the squad but is unlikely to start after such a lengthy period out of action. He’s in contention to play in the FA Cup against Sutton next week.
David Ospina, as he has done all season in Europe, will start in goal.
That’s bad news with Lucas out. I was rather wishing to see him start. He brings experience and composure and has been creative in the final third. Was hoping to see all 3 of Coquelin, Granit and Ox start. Maybe Ox on right wing now to help Bellerin with Douglas Costa. Coquelin and Granit in the middle with Coquelin pressing higher. Alexis up top on the break and I suppose Welbeck LW but he will have to put in a shift as well helping Monreal who will have to deal with the pacy Alaba not to mention whoever starts on… Read more »
Looks like Arsene has made an effort to not look tired Wrighty!
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Arsene chooses to select Gibbs ahead of Monreal for this game.
I like Gibbs.
Really? Haven’t seen you mention it before.
No one picked up on how he got away with it a couple of times vs Hull.. should have been sent off for a ridiculously rash challenge, and also I remember a simple long ball flying over his head right into the path of a Hull player who had an opportunity to score but wasted it. That’s vs Hull City FC so it doesn’t exactly leave me with faith vs Bayern Munich.
We need a bit more of Gibbs style resilience if we are to be taken seriously. Coquelin could learn a thing or two from him in stopping Hazard last week.
Bro,please no coq. He can’t even pass ?
Doesn’t Alaba play LB? Or have they changed their system? Anyways agree our wingers and midfielders will all have to put in a shift if we want to keep them from scoring.
Douglas plays LW and Alaba LB.
Seems to be pretty lethal on either side
I think we are all assuming xhaka is a must start. I’ll be a little surprised if he does. Stupidly let everyone down with his red that in turn had huge consequences on selection for some big games
Does he deserve to come straight back in? No
The thing with being suspended is that the suspension is your punishment. I don’t think Arsene should add to the games ban. That would be just odd! 🙂
It would be nice if wr could get through the whole tie without getting a man sent off for a change
Aw would be correct in feeling he can’t trust him to keep his shit together.
It’ll be elneny and coq in cm with ox
Good comment
These injuries are really getting in the way of Lucas making the impact he seems so capable of. We have a lot of other attacking options available though. COYG!
First time ever that I’m not excited about a CL game. I have absolutely no expectations for this tie, just the usual hope.
So you were excited with Ludogoretz at home but not excited about Bayern away in the knock-out? Weird times for the Arsenal fans 🙂
Dear Thierry,if you loose ur hope,you won’t neither Thierry nor Bergkamp?
Even we are whole Gunners.
I suppose it is up to the individual what gives him hope, and expectations. We cannot compel that.
Walcott will start and score two. Back to London with a 3-2 victory.
Lineup:
Would a 4-3-3 look like this?
Ospina
Bellerin Must Kos Monreal
Ox Xhaka Elneny
Welbeck Sanchez Ozil
I guess the ole 4-2-3-1 is:
Ospina
Bellerin Must Kos Monreal
Xhaka Elneny
Walcott Ozil Welbeck
Sanchez
then that only leaves Giroud and Ox as attackers on the bench…hmmm, tough job Mr. Wenger
I forgot Iwobi!!!
Play either of those teams and we will get spanked 4 or 5.The only time Arsenal have done well in CL was in 2006 when we played 4-5-1.
Have you made Arsene aware of this Jack??
Absolutely right, especially if we play wengers favorite 4-2-3-1. Arsenal will be in for a long night. Isn’t one sign of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I’m not optimistic but I can still hope.
Is it? Never heard that one…:)
* forgot my nose –
If we play a 2-man midfield it has to be Elneny-Xhaka.
Would start our 3 DM’s Elneny-Coq-Xhaka and crowd the midfield. Ozil can start in the wing and Ox to come in as an impact sub with Giroud
The first team is perfect. I wanted to see a front 3 of Lucas – Alexis – Welbeck with Ozil as a 10 and a Xhaka – Coq pivot, but unfortunately Lucas is injured so I’d go with yours. But we all know Wenger…he’s going to play his typical 4-2-3-1 and we’ll get spanked.
We are doomed if we play Coq-Xhaka with Ozil ahead of them. They would press us to lose the ball everytime we build from the back, exactly like City, Everton and Bournemouth did.
3 forwards 3 midfielders, seems straightforward enough
Drop Ozil.. Let him pick himself up!
Play 4-4-2 with Giroud/Welbeck and Alexis up top. Alexis can be a creator as well with as many assists he has picked up this season.
Time to change something tactically. You know.. it worked quite well with some shit team there in London after they changed their formation to the one their manager has been most successful with. 😉
Mr.Blogs.. Let me ask you a very honest question.. Why is that I am always under moderation?
Been a big follower. Just seems a bit too harsh. 🙂
It’s not personal. We have some issues with lots of comments being held for moderation at the moment
Suggesting Mesut be dropped is a straight red offense. No wonder.
I would guess there are certain words combined with certain players that auto trigger the moderation thing.
Tactically Wenger has to change something. 4-2-3-1 will get exploited to the tune of 3 or 4 goals. God forbid you criticize Wenger or any of his decisions. And the worst insult of all is pointing out some other clubs best attributes be it about players or managers. Unbelievable I wonder how many would follow Wenger over a steep cliff.
I think he’ll play Iwobi as he normally does, unfortunately. Even though I don’t think he should be in the first 11, it was Giroud who they couldn’t cope with last year.
Bayern will play the world’s best keeper in goal Wenger will play Almunia’s twin brother.
lucas previous injury record was good before he joined AFC i know a few have been from kicks but overall his other injuries are in the Arsenal mould of weeks out surely there is still an under lying method in training that causes these non impact injuries, sanchez hamstrings,ramsey hamstrings,ox hamstrings, walcott hamstrings, kos hamstrings list goes on
Lucas’ injuries stem from the fact that he got that bad kick on the ankle earlier in the season. That in itself isn’t that bad but what it does is disrupt the fitness plan that has been tailor made for him and he has to start from scratch. I think on a whole this team has had less injuries this season than years before. Especially the muscular injuries. Only Ramsey has been struggling. I don’t count Cazorla, Per and other players that get joint injuries and tendon injuries because those stem from contact not overall fitness. I can roll my… Read more »
Lucas was taken out by that ugly hulk in the Reading match and has been kicked a few times since. Players compensate for knocks which causes muscle injuries, hopefully it’s more precautionary than serious but it’s a shame for him.
It’s a fair bit easier to be injury free in the Spanish league where half the games are a walkover.
Wenger will be as predictable as ever with our usual 4-2-3-1 formation and that is going to get us spanked. Ideally, I’d have liked a front 3 of Lucas – Alexis – Welbeck but unfortunately, Lucas is injured. We could play a 4-3-3 with a midfield 3 of Xhaka – Elneny/Coq – Ox with Elneny/Coq covering for Ozil defensively. A front three of Mesut – Alexis – Welbeck would be good with lots of fluidity. However, we have Theo who regardless of what you think, is the second best finisher in the team. But we just need to make sure… Read more »
Pretty much realistic expectation
Unlike yourself who really is a font of wisdom. If only Wenger could think like you.
You tell him String!
“2-1, 1-1 should be good enough”
Unless we face Watford in the second leg! 🙂
So cool in that track suit with the yellow stripe…..
Arsene , you can do no wrong.
Have no hope for tomorrow if we play 4-2-3-1 again. They’ll run over us as PSG did to Barca today.
Very impressed of PSG today, in my view it’s more than 75% chance that Alexis plays in Paris next season, the team fits him perfectly and Arsenal under Wenger don’t.
I don’t seem to understand the whole concept of Xhaka coming straight back in. First off, Ox in the middle has been our most consistent player the last few matches. As ridiculous as it may sound Coquelin is probably more disciplined defensively than Xhaka.
Because we simply do not have anyone ad good as he is at dictating play from deep…Ox has been impressive, but his passing range is no where close to Xhaka
Ospina
Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Xhaka Ox
Iwobi
Walcott Sanchez Wellbeck.
why do we never try this. in iwobi we have the perfect no10 to replace the out off form ozil. fingers have to be pointed at wenger for not even trying new player in ozil’s position. some time on bench will only benefit both arsenal and ozil as maybe we will find solution to play without ozil and in the case of ozil he will come back stronger. its not like we need to buy new player , the least he could do is to try a young player in that position.
It’s hard to accept that the only attacking player we’ve signed in the last two seasons won’t be available for our most important game of this season. Nearly everything he touched in the group stage games turned to gold. Really thought the Champions League was the gonna be the stage for him to shine.
PSG signed Draxler in January and there he was tonight doing the business in what was possibly PSG’s biggest ever performance. No doubt if we’d signed him he’d have picked up a 90th minute injury against Hull.
Can the injury gods please give us a break?
Other teams are proactive they make things happen. We seem to be reactive at best. Draxler was smart not to make a stop off here. Would spell disaster for his career.
Arsene would not use Lucas anyway, he would probably give him his usual 5-10 mins. Which us a shame, he should start ahead of Iwobi, who for all his talent is still a young guy who is developing while we have a pkayer at his peak in Lucas who has been very good for us when he played.
We,ve a bigger squad than most other teams now.
If we play the usual 4-2-3-1 that would be asking for trouble. Bayern would have prepared for that. I would play Alexis -Giraud – Welbeck. And play a 4-3-3 with a midfield 3 of Xhaka – Coq – Ozil. However, we just need to make sure we dont go more than a goal down. Keep the game tight and attack on the break. If that happens and we get something out of this game, the return leg is all to play for.
Monreal out please, this guy lacks confidence and slow, and he doesn’t tackle. Gibbs in.
When was the last time monreal or coq really impose a threat?
This is madness to start with gisbbs!!!
Stop showing these teams so much respect, yes play tight and defensive away(ox, coq, elm, xhaka, ozil with zanchez up front) get a 0-0 1-1 or a2-1 loss.. Bring them back to London, go all out attack. (wallcot, ozil, xhaka, ox with giroud and sanchez up front) don’t end the tie tonight give us something to play for in two weeks