After handing the reins to the youngsters in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Colorado Rapids in their pre-season opener Unai Emery is set to restore a host of senior players to his side as they face Bayern Munich in Los Angeles.
Calum Chambers and Carl Jenkinson were the only senior players to start in Denver, though a few marquee names were introduced in the second half to the delight of the crowd at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Emery has already indicated that some senior players will be part of his side once more with the Arsenal head coach specifically name-checking Granit Xhaka, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as in his plans for Wednesday.
Most intriguingly of all Emery named Reiss Nelson as among the senior options he wished to use in the match with the German champions. The England Under-21 international impressed on loan at Hoffenheim last season and is expected to figure in Arsenal’s first team this season.
Should Nelson be handed a start Emery will face an intriguing challenge fitting his two first-choice strikers into his starting XI. After using a three-man defence at the tail end of last season the Spaniard began pre-season with a 4-4-2 in which Tyreece John-Jules and Eddie Nketiah led the line, flanked by attack-minded wingers in Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Whilst such a system could certainly bring excitement to the Arsenal first-team it would be tough to also provide the requisite support to a defence that has conceded 51 goals in each of the last two Premier League seasons.
There are certainly limited numbers of defensive options available to Emery on the tour after Laurent Koscielny refused to travel to the USA.
Shkodran Mustafi, whose appearance in Denver prompted a smattering of boos from American Arsenal fans, is likely to partner Sokratis.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Mustafi, Monreal; Xhaka, Willock; Nelson, Ozil, Mkhitaryan; Aubameyang
