Mansfield Town vs Arsenal LIVE: Dowman and Salmon start in nine changes for FA Cup clash

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Arsenal take on Mansfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round at Field Hill. The Gunners can reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2020, having already reached the Carabao Cup final, where they will take on Manchester City in a couple of weeks.

Mikel Arteta has a busy week coming with a trip to Bayer Leverkusen before hosting Everton with the Premier League title very much on the line. But this game will allow some rotation in his side and to give minutes to players who have not been used as much.

However, one player who will not be involved to the frustrations of many is Myles Lewis-Skelly. His yellow cards in each of the third round win over Portsmouth and fourth round victory against Wigan Athletic mean he is suspended.

William Saliba, Ben White and Martin Odegaard are still recovering from issues while Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee. Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi were all also absent from the streamed training session on Friday and therefore could also be missing.

Tom Canton, our Arsenal reporter, will keep you up to date with all the build-up, match commentary and reaction live from Field Hill. Updates to follow:

11:25Tom Canton

Arsenal team announced

Arsenal: Kepa, Salmon, Mosquera, Calafiori, Trossard, Norgaard, Madueke, Havertz, Martinelli, Dowman, Jesus.

Subs: Setford, Hincapie, Saka, Eze, Timber, Gyokeres, Dixon, Harriman-Annous, Ibrahim.

11:25Tom Canton

Declan Rice and Gabriel among eight Arsenal players missing in training ahead of Mansfield

Arsenal have completed their final training session before their trip to the East Midlands in the FA Cup fifth round, where they will face Mansfield Town. The Gunners have a tricky test ahead of them with the League One side having already eliminated Premier League Burnley from the competition.

The game comes at a good time for Mikel Arteta, who has just seen his team secure a vital 1-0 win over Brighton in the Premier League. The victory coincided with Manchester City dropping points at home to Nottingham Forest, handing the Gunners a seven-point lead.

Heading out to train before this trip to Mansfield, the expectation is that some players will be missing for the game. Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee, while Martin Odegaard remains out for the short term, with doubts over William Saliba that were confirmed by his absence from the training session streamed on Arsenal’s new app.

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11:25Tom Canton

Arsenal line-ups vs Mansfield decided as 16-year-old duo start in nine changes

Arsenal take a break from the Premier League title race this weekend when they head to Mansfield Town in the FA Cup on the back of three straight top-flight wins.

While the League One side are not to be underestimated, this contest is a chance for Mikel Arteta to shuffle his pack and recharge ahead of next week's Champions League trip to Bayer Leverkusen.

The big games keep on coming for the Gunners and while they're targeting FA Cup glory, it is now surely time for some of the club's fringe players to step up and make a big contribution.

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11:25Tom Canton

Every word Mikel Arteta said on Mansfield Town vs Arsenal, Saliba, cup aims and pitch conditions

Mikel Arteta spoke to the media ahead of his Arsenal side’s clash with Mansfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round. The Gunners travel to Field Mill on Saturday for a lunchtime kick-off with the hope of reaching a quarter-final for the first time since 2020.

The Gunners are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, and Arteta spoke in the wake of the win at Brighton, still basking in the joy of the three points. He spoke on the jump to different competitions, with the Champions League coming next week.

While rumours of the pitch being particularly poor were also put to the Spaniard, who enjoyed discussing the magic of the competition. Mansfield earned their place in this round of the competition after knocking out Burnley in the fourth round at Turf Moor.

Read every word from the pre-match press conference here.

11:25Tom Canton

Arsenal predicted XI vs Mansfield Town as Salmon and Dowman start among eight changes

Arsenal take on Mansfield Town in the FA Cup in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Mikel Arteta has limited options due to both suspensions (Myles Lewis-Skelly) and injuries, as William Saliba, Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino remain out.

Furthermore, the game is likely an opportunity to rest certain players as Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber were not spotted in pre-match training. Considering the opponent, it might also give some younger players the opportunity for involvement in the fixture.

The FA Cup has likely dropped to the fourth-most important competition for the Gunners after reaching the Carabao Cup final. They travel to Germany on Tuesday for the clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 of the UEFA Champions League and have the edge in the title race.

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