Happy October international break is over, Arsenal supporters. Congratulations, your team is top of the table right now. Up next is a trip to 14th place Fulham, a London derby where, you got to like your chances, if you’re a Gooner. Manager Mikel Arteta did see his team captain, Martin Odegaard, suffer an MCL injury this FIFA window, and that is indeed a significant blow.
He’ll be out until at least late November. However, the rest of the fitness/injury news, during the FIFA window, was actually promising.
London Derby FYIs
Fulham vs Arsenal
Kickoff Time: 5.30 p.m. GMT, Sat. Oct. 18
Location: Craven Cottage, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Material: Full Injury Report Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Premier League Standings: Fulham FC 14th, 8 pts Arsenal 1st, 16 pts
Overall, Arteta will not have a ton of selection issues to contend with when he fills out his team sheet for this one. In fact, he might have a couple different difficult decisions to make, when he picks his starting final third.
Arsenal Predicted Starting XI at Fulham FC
David Raya; Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori; Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze; Ethan Nwaneri, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter