LONDON, ENGLAND — Arsenal are preparing to face Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Manager Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his squad and give several players an opportunity to feature.
The Gunners booked their place in this round after securing an entertaining 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town in the previous stage. They will now seek another positive result as they attempt to maintain their strong performances across domestic and European competitions.
Arsenal’s Current Form
Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League table. They are level on points with the leaders but separated by goal difference.
Their Champions League campaign has also started encouragingly. They have collected seven points from their opening three matches.
Fleetwood Town, meanwhile, face a difficult challenge against the Premier League side. The League Two outfit occupy 18th position with 14 points from 13 games.
They head into the contest after suffering back-to-back defeats against Cheltenham Town and Exeter City.
Team News
Regarding team news, William Saliba and Christos Tzolis are expected to remain unavailable because of injuries.
Bukayo Saka is also likely to miss the encounter. He picked up a problem during Arsenal’s match against Bayern Munich last week.
However, Arsenal have received a boost with Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera recovering from their respective injuries. Both defenders could be considered for selection.
Martin Zubimendi has also returned to full fitness after overcoming an ankle issue. Nevertheless, reports indicate that the midfielder sustained a nose injury during Arsenal’s recent meeting with Everton. This leaves some uncertainty over his involvement.
Predicted Line-up
In goal, Kepa Arrizabalaga is tipped to start. This would allow regular first-choice goalkeeper David Raya to rest.
Young defender Marli Salmon could partner Mosquera in central defence. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ezri Konsa may begin on the bench.
Jurrien Timber is expected to feature at right-back. Hincapie could occupy the opposite side. This arrangement could allow Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori to receive a break.
In midfield, Myles Lewis-Skelly could join Zubimendi in the deeper positions. Bruno Guimaraes completes the three-man unit.
Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, and Martin Odegaard could be rested initially. They may be introduced if required.
Eberechi Eze is predicted to start on the left wing. Teenage talent Max Dowman is expected to operate on the right.
Viktor Gyokeres is expected to lead the attack. Arsenal will look to secure qualification for the next round.
Arsenal’s Predicted XI (4-3-3):
Kepa Arrizabalaga; Jurrien Timber, Marli Salmon, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie; Myles Lewis-Skelly, Martin Zubimendi, Bruno Guimaraes; Max Dowman, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze.
What This Means
Arteta’s rotation shows the depth of Arsenal’s squad. The manager is giving opportunities to younger players and fringe members of the first team.
The match is a chance for them to impress and stake a claim for regular playing time.
What Happens Next
The match will kick off on Tuesday evening. Arsenal will be hoping to avoid an upset and progress to the next round.
For now, the focus is on the game. The Gunners are determined to keep their cup hopes alive.
