Arsenal will take on Sporting Lisbon as they travel to José Alvalade Stadium on Thursday night for the first leg of the Europa League round of sixteen. The Gunners will come into the match on the back of a 3-2 victory over Bournemouth in their last outing so they will be in high spirits to give out a better performance in this European contest.
Mikel Arteta could opt for the 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make a few changes to the starting XI for this midweek encounter. Eddie Nketiah is expected to recover in time and lead the charge against the Portuguese outfit while Granit Xhaka could play from the start as Fabio Vieira drops to the bench.
4-3-3 Arsenal Predicted XI Vs Sporting Lisbon
Defence
Aaron Ramsdale will continue to feature in between the sticks for the Gunners after conceding two goals in his last league appearance. William Saliba will once again function alongside Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s backline as they look to keep the opposition attackers at bay during the game.
Ben White could get the nod over Takehiro Tomiyasu at the right-back position while Oleksandr Zincheko hopes to impress on the other side as the left-back. Both of them need to make forward runs out on the wide areas to create enough chances but also remain compact defensively.
Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding will be named on the bench as they offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.
Midfield
Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard will make up Arsenal’s midfield as they try to establish their superiority over the opposition at the centre of the park. Odegaard will once again act as the main playmaker for Arsenal in the opponent’s half.
Jorginho and Fabio Vieira will have to settle for a spot on the bench as they wait for their chance to shine in the second half if Arteta decides to call upon his services.
Attack
Gabriel Martinelli is a guaranteed starter at the left flank while Bukayo Saka looks to weave his magic from the opposite flank.
As mentioned earlier, Arteta remains positive that Eddie Nketiah could return to full fitness before the upcoming clash and is expected to lead the charge against the opposition.
Leandro Trossard will be unavailable after picking up a groin injury in his last outing but Emile Smith Rowe will take a spot on the bench to provide cover for the attacking positions.
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