Arsenal are looking to return to winning ways following back-to-back Premier League defeats when they host Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.
The Gunners have had a rare week off following last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, which was preceded by a 2-1 defeat to Wolves that ended Mikel Arteta's unbeaten streak in the Premier League in 2021.
That has reignited the pressure upon Arsenal, heading into a crucial stage of the season as Premier League football needs to be balanced with the return of the Europa League - resulting in another hectic fixture schedule.
Injury worries are certainly not what the Spaniard would want at this time but he must cope with the hand he has been dealt, with Kieran Tierney's absence continuing and Thomas Partey set for another spell out of the side.
With Thursday's Europa League Round of 32 tie against Benfica in mind, which is due to be played in Rome, Arteta may shuffle his deck in order to keep the squad fresh.
He is boosted by the return of first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno and David Luiz, following the pair's suspension, with the former likely to slot straight back into the starting line-up.
Luiz, however, may need to work his way back into the side, with Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes the leading candidates at the heart of the defence.
Left-back continues to be an issue amid Tierney's continued absence, with Cedric Soares shaky in recent performances but likely to continue in the role to allow Bukayo Saka to play further forward, rather than restricting the youngster by drafting him into a full-back role.
In midfield, Partey's absence will likely result in Dani Ceballos coming into the side to partner Granit Xhaka.
Further forward, squad rotation may hand Martin Odegaard his first start following his 25-minute cameo off the bench against Aston Villa, allowing Emile Smith Rowe to earn a deserved rest ahead of the Benfica match.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also in need of a start to get back to full rhythm following his absence and will likely play off the left, moving Saka to the right and resulting in Nicolas Pepe dropping to the bench.
Alexandre Lacazette, who has been in fine form this season, is expected to continue leading the line for the Gunners but the return of Aubameyang, along with the rekindled form of Pepe, means he needs to maintain performances or risk dropping out.
Arsenal predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric; Ceballos, Xhaka; Aubameyang, Odegaard, Saka; Lacazette
