Arsenal travel to Norway to take on Molde in the UEFA Europa League, looking to get back to winning ways on Thursday. Let’s take a look at the team news ahead of this game. For our Arsenal starting XI prediction go here.
The Gunners had a rather disappointing return to Premier League action this past weekend as they only managed a solitary point against Leeds United. They will want to end their two-game winless streak and the Norwegian side provide a good opportunity to do so.
There are two new injury concerns for the North Londoners to deal with. Both Willian and Bukayo Saka were taken off during the draw against Leeds. They remain doubtful as they are being assessed ahead of the game.
Additionally, the team will still be without Mohamed Elneny and Sead Kolasinac, who have tested positive for COVID. The participation of Thomas Partey also remains a doubt, after the midfielder missed out on Sunday’s game.
The Emirates club have made a perfect start to their Europa League campaign so far and will look to keep that going. Having won three out of three, they will be confident of adding another win and adding another three points will put them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stages as group leaders.
The last time these two teams met, the Gunners came out on top 4-1 and it would not be a surprise to see a similar result here again. The potential absence of Saka is a big blow however, as he has grown into one of the team’s most important players. Despite being so young, the midfielder has managed to put his stamp on the team.
It is likely that Mikel Arteta will look to other youngsters to step up and take up his place and that could lead to some rotation in the team.
Arsenal travels to Norway on the back of some less than inspiring results in the League. If they can come away with a win, it will do them a world of good to boost their confidence back up.
Getting back to the knockout stages is crucial for this club and this manager, and he’ll be confident that his team can achieve that.