Lucas Torreira and Mesut Ozil are both available for selection for tomorrow’s game against Everton, however, Hector Bellerin and Sokratis look likely to miss out.
Torreira missed the 1-0 win over Olympiacos through illness but has now recovered and Ozil didn’t travel to Athens as his wife is expecting a baby.
The latest bulletin from the Arsenal medical team reveals that Bellerin was left in London as a precaution with a tight groin but he’s on the mend. All the same, we’d be surprised if he’s risked.
It could spell game time at right-back for Ainsley-Maitland Niles because Sokratis is also struggling. The Greek, who went down with cramp late in the game on Thursday, has apparently picked up a knee injury and continues to be assessed.
When you consider that Cedric Soares, Kieran Tierney and Calum Chambers are also sidelined, it’s fair to say we’re not having much luck with anyone who plays as a full-back.
It’ll be a tough game tomorrow. Ancelotti is doing a good job at Everton.
Our front four need to get their acts together. We’ll need more than a single goal to win this game, I suspect.
Despite lots of criticism of our play of late, a win tomorrow takes to just 3 points off the CL place (pending Citeh appeal) with some eminently winnable games coming up.
If United win tomorrow, which they probably will, it’ll be four. But neat that Shieffield lost points today.
Not sure if United will win. Like us they have been travelling through Europe this week and Watford was a bit on the up before the break. Can easily see United dropping points here.
I see your point, though of the last five they have 3 D’s and 2 L’s and whether or not it means what it used to, it’s at Old Trafford, so I’m sceptical. I sure hope you’re right though!
Let AMN play at RB if not Hector. We’re at home. Should go all out. Kola on the left don’t think Saka would play 3 games is 7 days! COYG 3-0
Possibly facing Theo we may need Saka’s speed but a test for his defensive skills ; for Iwobi I prefer Hector, not convinced AMN is good defensively.
Unfounded and almost definitely incorrect theory:
AMN has, in fact, been chosen by Mesut’s wife to be her birth partner due to his ‘jack of all trades’ ability to fit into any situation seamlessly. As the due date gets closer so do the antenatal classes and AMN has been semi permanently signed off work so he can work with Mesut’s wife on her breathing and pelvic floor exercises.
As always, AMN states he’d like to be playing further up the park but is happy to fill in wherever necessary.
Okay buddy relax. Let’s focus on the game tomw. You ain’t getting the top comment this time ??
Sorry, I’ll do a more bog standard arseblog comment like wot most people do to make up for it.
Really hoping for three points tomorrow and hopefully we can keep up this run of clean sheets. Feels like Arteta is getting more and more out of these players each week and with Laca firing twice in the last two games, we could really start picking up momentum tomorrow. COYG!!
There you go. Tepid, dull, lifeless synopsis. The comment equivalent of a Jermaine Jenas opinion column. That better?
Just accept when you’re not funny. Sheesh
No
Where is Rambling Pete?
Remember right back at the moment is different from left. It requires more defensive stability than attacking. That I suspect is why he used Papa in there instead of AMN. Unless he played 3 at the back with AMN wing back I have no idea what the plan will be
Truee but i guess Papa played in Greece cus of what he brought to the team there, Arteta said he’s told the team aa lot about the stadium, atmosphere etc so i expected him to start (not at RB tho lol). Let’s hope it’s a trick of Arteta and Bellerin starts or if not whoever but i just want us just win bro also perhaps Pablo Mari masterclass incoming tomorrow?
Aubameyang or Martinelli on the right doesn’t work, it doesn’t suit them, and it unbalanced the team, so one of Pepe or Nelson.
Sokratis isn’t a right back, if Bellerin isn’t ready? Then give a start to Niles, particularly at home, Niles at least provides a threat going forward, our right side was awful on Thursday.
Lacazette should start after 2 goals and assist in his last 100 minutes, and no need to change the Xhaka + Ceballos axis.
Miles gives me the jitters when defending. He keeps running backwards, bringing opponents into the box.
Even the few minutes he played on Thursday was no different.
Speaking of full backs. I remember once on football manager (2010 or around that time), I was losing 1 nil. We equalised in the last few minutes and I was pushing for a win, the most attacking sub I could think of was to put Ramsey in at right back. With his first touch, he crossed it in and got an assist to win the match. I was proud if myself for that tactical masterclass.
Good grief – I have trouble remembering goals in the REAL world from last year let alone 10 years ago!
I remember i used the editor to build a full squad of my sunday league team as a kid. We all played for Barnet…15 yrs old, all of us 7ft tall with 200 england caps and 200 goals….every attribute set to 20 lool those were the days!
You need to be careful about things like that. It’s exactly the sort of thing Manchester City are in trouble for now.
I went to my first football match at Underhill…pre-season friendly between Barnet and Arsenal. Good times.
Post of the day right here.
I think we should go with Leno, AMN, mustafi, Luiz, saka, Torreira, Xhaka, Ozil, Pepe, Laca and Auba
Ceballos will surely start ahead of Torreira after his performance against Newcastle.
not sure about that. Everton is not Newcastle and a guy like Torreira could be really helpful.
Ceballos was the essential ingredient in moving the ball forward much quicker last week against Newcastle. I’d be slightly disappointed if Arteta picks the more cautious Torreira. We’re at home and it’s a must win game.
Bellerin will likely start. He was in full training today and only missed Olympiacos as a precaution.
saed back at left put saka on right mustafi/luis centre, xaka/torreria holding mids, cebalose/mesut/pepe/auba..cover for backs invention up front.
Cebalose paired with fructose and you have a done deal
Luiz. Ceballos. Xhaka. Sead.
Why did we sign an injured right back on loan? If he was a permanent contract, okay. But. Loan that can’t come directly into the team?!
Because the manager doesn’t want to play amn there possibly? Maybe he wants to play pepe there but thinks the right side of our team is too lightweight with both pepe and amn there…. Plus we’ll most likely sign him on a free come the end of the season?
I think that last line is the bell ringer.
Not sure what that means for AMN though.
Don’t think we can chalk Soares injury to luck, but really dumb decision making
Are we sure that Lord Voldemort didn’t have a try-out for the right back planer at Arsenal once? Considering how it’s a rather accident-prone position…
*place, not planer. Damn you, autocorrect.