Arsenal hosts Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League as the Gunners look for another three points in the league phase.
Mikel Arteta's team last time out defeated Paris Saint-Germain at home moving up to four points in the campaign. Although, the team is coming in off of a disappointing loss against Bournemouth in which William Saliba picked up a red card. He'll be available in the Champions League though which is a boost for a team suffering with multiple injuries. Three points is vital if the team wants to continue climbing up the table and avoiding an extra game in the knockout stage.
Shakhtar Donetsk is still searching for its first win in the Champions League this season after a draw and loss to Bologna and Atalanta respectively.
Here's how Arsenal could line up as Arteta aims to manage this injury-riddled start to the season.
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Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya—Arsenal's top goalkeeper gets the start looking for another clean sheet in Europe.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—The summer signing didn't have the best performance against Bournemouth. He'll need to rebound here and then likely slot in centrally when Liverpool come to the Emirates on the weekend.
CB: Gabriel—The Brazilian gets the start and potentially the captain's armband once again.
CB: William Saliba—Saliba will be eager to right the wrongs of his sending off against Bournemouth. He wasn't completely at fault for the red card, but a strong performance will reinstill some confidence in one half of the Premier League's elite defensive partnership.
CB: Benjamin White—White came back from injury to start against Bournemouth. He could be in line for another go depending on the fitness levels of Jurrien Timber.
CM: Declan Rice—Rice gets the start in midfield providing stability in front of the backline while being an option in attack.
CM: Thomas Partey—His levels have improved since the start of the season. Partey will anchor the midfield.
CM: Mikel Merino—Tuesday's match against Shakhtar Donetsk provides a great option for Merino to get more minutes as a starter.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli—Martinelli came off the bench against Bournemouth and missed a golden opportunity to level the score down a man. He's back in the starting lineup here providing width and pace down the left flank.
ST: Kai Havertz—No questions here. Arsenal's leading man up top will start once again.
RW: Raheem Sterling—With question marks surrounding Bukayo Saka's fitness after picking up what Arteta called "not a serious injury," against Greece over the international break, Sterling gets the nod for the second game in a row.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Champions League.
