Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was reluctant to make significant changes to his team in the first half of the season. However, since the January transfer window, where the Gunners signed three new players, very rarely has he stuck with a consistent XI with more squad depth now available in midfield and attack.
Jorginho, Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior all joined the club in the winter window, but the latter is yet to make his senior debut for Arsenal. Jorginho and Trossard meanwhile, have already proven they were shrewd signings by Edu and Arteta with their performances, while also costing significantly less than Mykhailo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo, the Gunners' initial priority targets in those positions.
The clash against Bournemouth last weekend saw Arteta make two key changes with Fabio Vieira and Takehiro Tomiyasu coming in for Granit Xhaka and Ben White. The incoming duo endured differing afternoons at Emirates Stadium with Tomiyasu taken off at half time, while Vieira played 84 minutes perhaps in preparation for another start on Thursday against Sporting CP.
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If that is the plan it is very unlikely Vieira is the only player on the fringes hoping for a start. The game could prove extremely useful for Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe who are both on their way back from injury, while Kieran Tierney will also be hoping to continue his run of successive Europa League starts, although Arteta confirmed he is a doubt for the game through illness.
The Gunners are likely considered favourites to win the competition perhaps just ahead of Manchester United and Juventus. While the Premier League is the priority, winning a major trophy should not be looked past and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is of the belief Arsenal should go strong.
Speaking on CBS Sport, he said: “I would just go for it. Gabriel Jesus is coming back soon. The core of the team shouldn’t move. You can change a Nketiah with a Jesus that’s going to come back. You don’t want to burn him also. You can change maybe a Martinelli with a Trossard. You can change those guys.
“But you need that core, especially at the back. You don’t want to suddenly play with one centre-back, and then another centre-back. Another right-back or left-back. No, you need to have that unit and that core. But offensively you can sometimes twist that."
In anticipation of the clash, both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jorginho have posted pre-match graphics on Instagram which usually hint at a players involvement. While Jorginho can be considered second-choice to Thomas Partey, he is still a crucial member of the squad and Zinchenko has more than proven his value this season.
That duo playing would likely indicate Arteta intends to go relatively strong for the Europa League clash with some fringe players getting starts. This can be further evidenced by Arsenal's own social media team news hint with Nelson, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli all included.
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