Arsenal will have some key players back ahead of their FA Cup quarterfinal clash against Sheffield United, but a couple of big names are still missing.
The North London club got back to winning ways after disappointing back to back defeats in the Premier League. They emerged 2-0 winners against Southampton with goals from Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock. (For the Arsenal starting XI Prediction for this match go here.)
Now their attention will turn towards the FA Cup which is the Emirates club’s only chance of winning a trophy. Sheffield will prove to be a tough opponent so here is the latest update on the team news.
Other FA Cup Preview Guides: United-Norwich, Chelsea-Leicester
The good news is that left-back Kieran Tierney is back after being substituted against Southampton. As it was only a muscle cramp, he is back in contention for selection. Another player returning is the Brazilian center-back David Luiz who was sent off against Manchester City.
In terms of players who won’t be playing a part are keeper Bernd Leno who is out for 4-6 weeks. The other injury blow is that of youngster Gabriel Martinelli who got injured during a training session and is out for the season. This will be a big blow for the team as he has been one of the club’s most impressive players this season.
The return of Granit Xhaka against Southampton was a big boost for the North London club as it helped them control the tempo of the match. Manager Mikel Arteta will have to decide between giving Tierney another game or he could always go with Sead Kolasinac. Upfront, there are not many absentees which is good for the game against Sheffield.
If the Gunners are to emerge victorious, it is necessary for the attack to be firing on all cylinders. Players such as Aubameyang and Lacazette need to get going and with the support of players such as Pepe and Saka, should be favourites for this match. Arteta could continue with the 4-3-3 that we have been seeing in the recent games and it promises to be an interesting tactical battle.