Arsenal take on Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie this evening.
Arsenal team news: Mikel Arteta is set to ring the changes against Sporting Lisbon (Image: BUILDLINEUP/GETTY)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will ring the changes against Sporting Lisbon this evening. However, he may not be able to rest as many players as he would have wanted.
The Europa League is clearly going to be the second priority for the Gunners. They are five points clear at the top of the Premier League and will put that first for as long as they are in a title race.
Arteta has been handed a triple blow, with Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and Kieran Tierney all ruled out of the first leg in Lisbon. The trio being available would have allowed further rotation in their positions.
There is a restricted squad for Arteta to choose from, with Gabriel Jesus not ready to start despite returning to training yesterday. Express Sport looks at the seven players Arteta could rest this evening.
Aaron Ramsdale
Matt Turner has been Arsenal’s cup goalkeeper when fit this season. He played in four of the group-stage matches as well as in the FA Cup.
Ramsdale is so key to the Gunners’ success that Arteta will preserve him for Premier League action. Turner has shown more than enough to prove he is an able deputy.
William Saliba.
Saliba has started every single Premier League match this season, so is due a breather. He played in just two of the group matches earlier in the campaign, with Rob Holding preferred.
Holding is the only right-sided centre-back who can fill in for Saliba. He will again come into the team for his first start since the FA Cup loss to Manchester City in January.
Gabriel
Brazilian Gabriel is also in need of a rest having been used from the start in every league game. He has also featured more than Saliba in the cup competitions this season.
But Arteta will be itching to give a debut to January signing Jakub Kiwior. The Poland international is left-footed and is likely to be a straight swap for Gabriel.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Tierney would have come in for Zinchenko if he was fit. However, Zinchenko may still get a rest from the start.
Takehiro Tomiyasu was used at left-back earlier in the season. That could mean Ben White starts at right-back after only coming on at half-time against Bournemouth.
Thomas Partey
Partey only recently returned from injury, with Saturday his first start since overcoming the issue. There is no need for Arteta to select him in his starting XI tonight.
Jorginho perhaps doesn’t have the same impact on the Arsenal side as Partey. But he is more than capable of performing at the level needed in this tie.
Martin Odegaard
Arsenal have a lack of midfield options, so it will be between Odegaard and Granit Xhaka as to who is rested. Xhaka only came on in the final 10 minutes against Bournemouth so will likely start this one.
Fabio Vieira put in a frustrating performance against the Cherries. He will likely take up Odegaard’s position in a slightly more advanced role.
Bukayo Saka
Saka must be preserved more than any other player in the Arsenal squad. He has played in each of the last 68 league matches, starting 65 of them.
Arteta cannot afford to run him into the ground. Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson could both come into the starting XI.
Arsenal team news: The Gunners take on Sporting Lisbon this evening (Image: BUILDLINEUP)
Predicted XI: Turner; White, Holding, Kiwior, Tomiyasu; Jorginho, Vieira, Xhaka; Nelson, Martinelli, Smith Rowe.
