Arsenal’s start to the new season has been disappointing and there are no two ways about it. Their latest clash against Watford ended in a 2-2 draw, a game in which they squandered a two-nil lead.
On Thursday, Arsenal will commence their Europa League campaign as they are due to face German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt at the Commerzbank-Arena. Intriguingly, the depth of Unai Emery’s squad will be tested as Frankfurt will be no pushovers.
Alexandre Lacazette will sit out once again owing to the ankle injury which he had sustained earlier this month.
Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin are edging towards fitness after a considerable amount of time on the side-lines.
Rob Holding has recovered from a knee injury, but considering that he was out for nine months, Emery might not rush him into the starting XI. Meanwhile, Konstantinos Mavropanos is working his way back to match fitness.
Defence
Bernd Leno is the undisputed first-choice custodian for Arsenal at the moment, but Emery might change ‘keepers for the Europa League. Therefore, we expect Emiliano Martinez to start between the sticks.
With Tierney and Bellerin still side-lined, the north London outfit might persist with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac as their full-backs. These two have been pretty industrious on the flanks.
After a forgettable outing at the Vicarage Road for Sokratis and David Luiz last weekend, Emery might go with Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi as the central defensive pair in the midweek clash.
Midfield
Lucas Torreira certainly deserves more opportunities and the Uruguayan international is likely to start in the central midfield. Alongside him, we expect Matteo Guendouzi and Dani Ceballos to feature in the starting lineup.
Guendouzi has been one of the best performers for the Gunners so far. The 20-year-old has started all of the 5 Premier League fixtures for his side and has mustered 2 tackles and 2 interceptions per game on an average.
Attack
While Nicolas Pepe is likely to start on the right-wing, Reiss Nelson could get the green light to start on the opposite side. Their pace and creative prowess on the wide areas could be instrumental in deciding the outcome of the game.
With Lacazette out, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could lead the line once again. The Gabon international is in a sublime touch of form upfront, having smashed 5 goals in 5 league outings, and will be desperate to find the back of the net once again.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
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