Mikel Arteta could spring a surprise when naming the Arsenal starting line-up to face Aston Villa tonight.
The Gunners manager is already facing some big team selection decisions on the back of Monday night's 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace, most notably his midfield options, as well as whether to reward Alexandre Lacazette's impressive substitute appearance with a first Premier League start of the season.
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka has emerged as a doubt for the visit of Villa after being unable to continue against the Eagles due to being kicked on the back of his right leg by James McArthur.
"He hasn’t trained yet so we have to assess today and see how he is," Arteta revealed in his pre-match press conference on Thursday morning.
However, the good news for the Spaniard and Arsenal is that Saka was spotted in training at London Colney ahead of the Villa game which suggests he is in contention to be included in the matchday squad.
Whether the England international is deemed fit enough to start four days on from sustaining the knock remains to be seen, however, as Arteta may opt against risking the 20-year-old.
And if the Arsenal boss does choose the latter option, he has plenty of potential replacements for the winger at his disposal.
Of course, the obvious decision would be switching Emile Smith Rowe back to his best role on the left-hand side after he played centrally in a 4-3-3 formation earlier in the week.
Alternatively, Gabriel Martinelli could get the nod, or captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could return to the left-wing - a role he is all too familiar with - which may result in a start for Lacazette through the middle.
Eddie Nketiah is also an option to replace Saka in the Arsenal line-up vs Aston Villa.
The 22-year-old has seen his minutes limited so far this season after missing the first month of the campaign through injury, but his one and only start came in the Carabao Cup third-round win over AFC Wimbledon last month.
Interestingly, with Saka named on the bench that night, it was Nketiah who took up the role from the left and was on the scoresheet in a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Predominantly a centre-forward, the former England U21 international was used in a wider role during pre-season and it seems that's where he's likely to get any game time between now and January at the very least.
Although, for Nketiah to even be included in the squad would be a major surprise given he's not done so for a Premier League fixture this season, with his last appearance in the competition stretching all the way back to April against Everton.
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But amid speculation regarding his future as he's out of contract next summer and talk of an exit in the January transfer window, there's no doubt that Nketiah will be prepared if called upon by Arteta to face Villa.
"I’m so proud of this kid," Arteta told Sky Sports when asked about the striker's display against AFC Wimbledon. "He hasn’t played much, there’s a lot of speculation around him. The way he trains, the way he behaves, he’s always willing to help the team.
"He fully deserves what happens because he trains and prepares himself like a beast."
