Arsenal begin their Europa League campaign on Thursday when they visit Austrian side Rapid Wien. In this match, they will not be able to field one of their first-choice centre backs.
The North London club lost to Manchester City over the weekend and in this match they will be looking to get back to their winning ways. They will have to put the defeat at the Etihad behind them and focus on the challenge that Rapid Wien will provide.
As for the team news, the big injury absence will be that of Rob Holding. The Englishman was named in the squad on Saturday, but pulled out due to a hamstring problem.
For the Arsenal starting XI prediction go here
According to Daily Mail, the defender could be out for a month.
Two other players that will not be making an appearance in the Europa League are Sokratis and Mesut Ozil. The duo have not been registered in the squad for the competition as the Gunners had too many players to accommodate.
Last season, the North Londoners exited the competition earlier than expected, following a heart-breaking defeat to Olympiakos. They will want to do a lot better this time around and will be among the favorites to win the competition.
If they do so, it has the added bonus of bringing them back into the Champions League next year, and that is the primary target of this season. To get there it’s important to start off on the right note, with a good performance in the group stages. There will be some changes to the lineup being made here as the manager has to deal with the increased workload that the squad is facing.
This will see some of the younger players being given a chance to showcase their skills and stake a claim towards becoming a more regular presence.
Rapid Wien are in good form as they have won their last two games. At home, they will be a challenging prospect for Arsenal to deal with. The Gunners will have to do quite well here in order to come away with the three points. A lot of that responsibility will be falling on the shoulders of Eddie Nketiah who is the likeliest option to be the starting forward.
Regardless of the team that Mikel Arteta goes with, he will be expecting a committed performance like the one he saw against Manchester City. If the team is able to show the same passion and drive, then a victory is a real possibility.