Arsenal are due to take on Real Madrid in the final game of their International Champions Cup campaign in Washington DC on Thursday at the FedEx Field.
The Gunners have mustered commendable performances during their pre-season clashes in the United States, which may have comforted their fans to an extent.
It has been a quiet summer transfer window so far for the Gunners as Gabriel Martinelli has been the only addition to the squad.
With the fans worried about the intent of the club, such encouraging displays might work as an antidote to the apparent negativity surrounding them.
Unai Emery’s side clinched a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in their previous fixture despite the fact that the Spaniard fielded a relatively young side.
Against Zinedine Zidane’s men, however, Emery is expected to chalk a lineup comprising mostly of the experienced players he has at his disposal as the season opener draws nearer.
Arsenal team news
Laurent Koscielny will be unavailable as he is edging closer to his move to Rennes. The club captain refused to travel to the US after his bust-up with the management.
Hector Bellerin is also unlikely to feature as he is recovering from his ruptured cruciate ligament. Meanwhile, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi will also be missing.
Predicted Arsenal Line-up To Face Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Bernd Leno is likely to start between the sticks. The German shot-stopper is set to be Arsenal’s no.1 in the upcoming campaign and has to be at the peak of his form.
The north London outfit went with a three-man defensive setup against Fiorentina but this week, Emery could revert to the idea of using four defenders.
Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are expected to start as the full-backs, whereas Sokratis and Calum Chambers might get the nod to start in the central defence.
Midfield
Arsenal prodigy Joe Willock is a strong contender to start in the central midfield against the Spanish giants after his impressive displays so far in the pre-season outings.
Alongside him, we expect Granit Xhaka to start. Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil might get the green light to operate as the central attacking midfielder against his former side.
Attack
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could start in the wide areas and will look to provide the necessary service to Lacazette who is likely to start upfront.
