ARSENAL will host Burnley with a serious lack of midfield reinforcements.
Usual pairing Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are both suspended – following red cards in separate Carabao Cup semi-final games against Liverpool.
The first came for Xhaka when he left Arsenal to hold on for over an hour with ten men in the first leg.
Then Partey was shown red in the second leg when Liverpool were 2-0 up at the Emirates.
It will likely mean again playing Sambi Lokonga as a lone holding midfielder and switching the Gunners preferred 4-2-3-1 formation to 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3.
Lokonga started in the deep-lying role in the second leg against Liverpool with Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe either side in advanced roles.
Mohamed Elneny – who would have been an option to also play in midfield – is still on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
And with a lack of alternate options the midfield three – who all started against Liverpool – are set to keep their place.
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And so too could striker Alexandre Lacazatte, although manager Mikel Arteta has Eddie Nketiah as another option through the middle.
With Nicolas Pepe away at Afcon, wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will again be favoured in the wide positions.
But, both Odegaard and Smith Rowe are capable of shifting to the flanks if needed.
Arteta is also likely to keep the backline of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel and Kieran Tierney.
But centre-back Rob Holding and full-back Nuno Tavares are available to cover in their respected positions if required.
England’s Aaron Ramsdale is also set to keep his place between the posts.
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