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football.london assess what the best Arsenal line-up might be once the injured absentees are back
Arsenal are preparing to welcome back a raft of players who have been absent for varying lengths of time. Injuries have plagued the start of the Gunners’ season despite the fact that they still sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta was asked when fans might see Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz ahead of the draw with Sunderland. Specifically, he was questioned whether any might return after the international break.
“Some of them, all of them, I don't know,” he said. “There are a lot of things that have to happen in the next two weeks, and everything has to be perfect.
“But I think we'll be very close with most of them to be in a really strong position.”
If hypothetically they do return, then what the Arsenal team could look like when everyone is up to speed and match fit could be quite different to what we have seen in recent weeks.
Eberechi Eze could be in danger of being dropped. Some might have wondered whether the summer signing would move to the left when Martin Odegaard returned and inevitably re-entered the team.
However, Leandro Trossard has been so good at the start of the season, and better than Eze and so deservedly takes the spot. Eze could therefore become more of an impact player during the festive period, but so useful for rotational reasons.
Meanwhile, the debate of who leads the line between Gyokeres and Havertz will be an interesting one. Gyokeres has not fit seamlessly into the team and still needs to adapt, while Havertz already fits Arteta’s system and expectations.
He scored a great goal in pre-season against Athletic Club too, reminding everyone, in spite of Gyokeres’ arrival, what he can do. Score goals, and link-up play extremely well.
Noni Madueke and Martinelli, however, might struggle to break into the starting eleven with Trossard and Bukayo Saka performing so well. But again, the Christmas period is sure to give plenty of opportunities for Arteta to rotate, especially with a League Cup quarter-final so close to their trip to Everton still to be resolved.
Arsenal XI after injured players return: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
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