Arsenal need to improve their team in January | Football Digest
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be sweating over the fitness of several of his stars during this international break, before the Gunners return to club duty for their trip to Brentford on Saturday. An away day to Thomas Frank’s side is never an easy task, with Arteta surely hoping that he encounters no further injury blows in the coming days. Fitness worries have already plagued the squad through Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah and here, Express Sport has taken a look at a potential lineup Arteta could deploy against Brentford as a result of those doubts.
Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the goalkeeper position at Arsenal, but David Raya looks to be the firm number one in Arteta’s eyes. Aaron Ramsdale’s father recently admitted that his son knows he will only get opportunities in cup matches or injury to Raya, but the Spanish stopper is ineligible to face his parent club.
Raya joined Arsenal on loan from Brentford in the summer as opposed to a permanent deal, which ensures that he will be forced to sit Saturday’s game out as Ramsdale has been handed another chance to prove Arteta wrong.
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Defence: Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Arteta will be hoping that his backline comes through international duty without injury, barring Ben White who was not named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad to face Malta and North Macedonia.
Gabriel will need to be a late check should he feature in Brazil’s crunch World Cup qualifier against rivals Argentina just over 72 hours before Arsenal travel to Brentford, while Takehiro Tomiasyu’s defensive capabilities may be preferred over Oleksandr Zinchenko to combat Bees talisman Bryan Mbeumo.
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Midfield: Kai Havertz, Jorginho, Declan Rice
Thomas Partey remains sidelined so Jorginho and Declan Rice are set to continue in the middle of the pitch, but Odegaard remains a fitness doubt. The club captain has missed the last three matches with a hip injury but also suffered a concussion during training.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken provided a positive update that Odegaard is “getting better” and hopes that he will be available for the trip to Brentford. But if he is not fit enough to play, then Kai Havertz could come in after his impressive display at left-back for Germany.
Attack: Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli
Arteta is reportedly wary over Brazil’s possible usage of Gabriel Jesus, with the forward expected to start against Argentina on Wednesday. This is despite Jesus missing the last few Arsenal games and the club hoped that he would continue his recovery from injury in London.
Fresh off an injury, it is unlikely that Arsenal will want Jesus to play twice inside a week and Leandro Trossard may be preferred instead. The Belgian has started their last two games against Sevilla and Burnley due to Nketiah’s injury and he could well continue in that role.
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