Eze starts, injury return, Saka and Saliba roles - Arsenal dream XI after international break

Mikel Arteta looks set to face regular Arsenal dilemmas courtesy of the club's sporting director Andrea Berta. The Gunners headed into the September international break following a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool after picking up maximum points and not conceding in their first two games.

19 players have already been used by Arteta this season with a £250million summer spend offering him options he certainly did not have last season. With Arsenal aiming to compete in four competitions, quality depth is required and injuries have made that even more important.

The likes of Kai Havertz, Ben White and Christian Norgaard have already picked up injuries this season with none of the trio playing since the win against Manchester United on the opening day.

Havertz looks set to be the only long-term absentee having undergone a minor procedure on his knee. Small knocks have kept Norgaard and White unavailable but the expectation is both will be back in the squad to face Nottingham Forest.

White could even start having missed less action and also ahead of Arsenal's first game in the Champions League away to Athletic Club. Arteta is more likely to want Jurrien Timber for that clash and as he has also suffered his fair share of injuries, it would make sense for White to be deployed from the off if fit enough.

Bukayo Saka and William Saliba have also suffered muscular problems which saw neither go on international duty with England and France, respectively. Arteta has confirmed the former will miss the next few weeks with L'Equipe claiming Saliba will miss a similar amount of time.

Given their importance to the team, it is likely both are still involved in matchdays and with several seats reserved behind the dugout at Emirates Stadium for those unavailable, expect to see the duo close to the action.

As for the players replacing them, it seems pretty obvious that will be Cristhian Mosquera and Noni Madueke. With the latter back on the right, one of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard or Eberechi Eze will be deployed on the opposite flank.

Having gone away with Norway, Martin Odegaard should return to the starting XI as the right-sided No.8 in place of Mikel Merino. Eze enjoys playing in that midfield role and did so for England against Andorra but is more likely to make his first start for the Gunners out wide.

Riccardo Calafiori bombing on at left-back will also allow him to come inside with Madueke very much the touchline winger supplying balls into the box for Viktor Gyokeres and potentially Declan Rice in his advanced midfield role as a box-crasher.

David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi complete what would be a dream starting XI for Arteta given the Arsenal injury issues he is currently facing.

Dream Arsenal starting XI: Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze.

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