Cedric Soares has returned to full training and could be part of Arsenal’s squad to face Bodo/Glimt at the Emirates on Thursday.
The 31-year-old has been sidelined with a calf problem for the best part of a month and is yet to feature this season.
Ahead of Sunday’s game with Liverpool, Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his squad for the visit of the Norwegian.
If Ben White is rested, Cedric could potentially take over at right-back should Takehiro Tomiyasu be used as a centre-back alongside Rob Holding.
The Japan international has regularly played the position for his country and deployment there would mean both Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba could be given a breather.
Reiss Nelson is another who will be hoping for his first minutes of the season. The winger picked up a thigh injury on the eve of the new season and has only returned to full training in the last couple of weeks.
He took up a place on the bench for the north London derby and, in the absence of Emile Smith Rowe, is an option on the left as back-up to Gabriel Martinelli.
Would it be too much to ask to expect Reiss to find that Hoffenheim goalscoring form under Nagelsmann?
Turner
Cedric , Tomiyasu, Holding, Tierney
Lokonga, Nelson, Xhaka, Vieira
Marquinhos, Nketiah
Really remarkable we don’t have a full 2nd eleven available to allow Xhaka a break. Hopefully things go well enough in the first half to bring in a young-unknown early in the second half to save him some minutes. Otherwise the only viable substitutes are Partey and Ode – which really wouldn’t solve anything, and is liable to get them a niggle to keep them out against Liverpool.
To be fair, Elneny would fill that role if he wasn’t injured, plus ESR is out
Few teams will be able to put out two different XIs of first team players if they have injuries (without dipping into the academy for someone like Smith)
Xhaka is a machine……..our machine
He’s our Robocop- our Cyborg. That man is built like a Cedar of Lebanon – an Iroko.😄
Touch wood
Very good point and highlights that first priority in transfer window should be a central midfielder. Other worry is whether Turner is good enough as a replacement for Ramsdale (if he gets injured)
with a very strong bench if things aren’t working out
It’s Bodo/Glimt at home. Why would you want to risk starting Xhaka?
Agreed, he played twice for Switzerland last week so would be ideal to keep him fresh for Liverpool.
I’d play Matt Smith.
Or Ethan Nwaneri? Or is it too much of a late night for him?
LOL He is a nipper still eh!!
Lol…
Let’s say, after the win,, the lads pop into a nearby pub for a pint. Could have all manner of legal ramifications.
Or Emmet Ray from the second string.
Wasn’t he from Sweet and Lowdown, on the 6 strings?
Yes 😁He is the 2nd best
Because historically, playing Xhaka is pretty low risk. A bit of a machine and hasn’t been very susceptible to injury in his career. And we do need to actually win these games, not just show up with 2nd string and assume we’ll shit it in.
It’s a tough call and here’s where the physios will have to earn their keep. If you leave the entire first team out it risks, even with the talented subs, a disjointed performance. On the other hand if you put in first team players you risk injury or fatigue.
seems to me the full second 11 should also be cohesive – they should have had reps together when lined up against the first 11, no?
Good news. We’ll need all available hands (or rather, feet) particularly this month.
Bodo/Glimt aren’t a bunch of dummies and I was there to see the results when Arsenal disrespected Ostersunds. I don’t expect Mikel to fall into that trap and I would hope that Cedric is nowhere near starting after being away for so long and not that good to begin with.
Well, they are certainly better than F C Zurich and they managed a draw at PSV I remember reading. That said, we should have too much in the locker for them even with a much-changed team, but it’s advisable not to take the outcome of these kind of games against unknown opposition too much for granted. I’m sure that Arteta and co. will afford them the necessary respect as far as that’s concerned.
The concerns about match fitness and of a disjointed team are legitimate. But I think the quality worry is wrong. Cedric is a much better player than anyone on their team, probably anyone in their league, as are Reiss Nelson, and probably Rob Holding. (It’s been five years, but Cedric started for the Portugal side that beat France to win the Euros; there’s no one on Bodo/Glimt arguably that good.)
I really hope Nelson gets some minutes and has a great match. ⚽ 🤞
Off topic. We should go for another City player in Jan. Ryad Marhez who is not getting enough game time. Loan? Option to buy in Jan?
City won’t loan us a player if we’re still in the title race in January.
Mahrez won’t leave City’s bench to sit on our bench.
He signed a new contract 3 months ago, so would command mammoth wages.
Doesn’t fit the project age profile.
Hope Nketiah gets a good game and a major confidence boost. Surprisingly Jesus has accumulated 4 yellow cards already and is in the brink of one game suspension. Its tough walking tight rope for next 10-11 games bit I hope Nketiah is ready to have a go should Jesus face one game ban.
We have Forest at home at the end of the month, so if he can get through the next two – Liverpool at home and Leeds away – and then pick up the yellow at Southampton, we can give Eddie the Forest game.
BEWARE OF BODO GLIMT
I think zinchenko should start as an eight with lokonga as a six and rest Granit..
Better to keep Zinchenko fresh for Liverpool. He’s only just returned from injury, may not be able to do 3 games in 8 days.