Reiss Nelson and Cedric Soares' return to the Arsenal fold comes at the perfect time for manager Mikel Arteta. With just Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny out through injury, the north London outfit's squad depth is suddenly looking fairly strong.
Nelson returned to the matchday squad against Tottenham on Saturday and could make his first appearance of the season against Bodo/Glimt. With the 22-year-old readily available, Arteta can rotate both flanks with Nelson and Marquinhos, meaning Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could earn a well-deserved rest before a crucial Premier League game with Liverpool on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Cedric has fully recovered from the injury he picked up last week, football.london understands, and Arteta could use him on Thursday night. It's understood that he's determined to get his first minutes of the season under his belt and build upon the healthy form he established last term.
READ NEXT: Mikel Arteta reveals the one thing at Arsenal that is more important than winning trophies
His return would allow Arteta to trial Takehiro Tomiyasu on the left-hand side of central defence if needs be. Gabriel Magalhaes is the Gunners' only recognised left-footed centre-back. Although Tomiyasu is technically right-footed, he's more comfortable with his weaker foot than the rest of Arsenal's central defensive options.
More importantly, Arsenal's depth is possibly the strongest it's been since Arteta arrived. That's not to say they shouldn't look to add to their squad in the coming windows as they evidently need to, especially if they wish to compete with Manchester City for years to come, but it's a step in the right direction.
If the Spaniard wants to, Arteta could really run the changes against Bodo/Glimt. In fact, he could field an entirely different starting XI with senior players and first-team regulars from the one that started at the weekend. That would involve 22-year-old Matt Smith being handed an opportunity in the centre of midfield, but other than that, everyone else is someone who's likely to be involved at regular intervals this campaign.
Below is the XI that started against Tottenham and the side that's arguably Arteta's strongest team.
4-2-3-1: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Magalhaes, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka; Martinelli, Odegaard (C), Saka; Jesus.
With the depth Arsenal now have, Arteta can make a like-for-like replacement for everyone in that side. Here's how.
4-2-3-1: Turner, Cedric, Holding, Tomiyasu, Tierney (C); Lokonga, Smith; Marquinhos, Vieira, Nelson; Nketiah.
The 'second XI' - for want of a better phrase - can certainly be improved, especially in defence and midfield. However, it's definitely strong enough to compete with Bodo/Glimt, PSV Eindhoven and FC Zurich in the Europa League. Given how busy Arsenal's schedule is before the World Cup, having a near fully-fit team is going to help them achieve their long-term goals this season.
Arteta might prefer to only rotate a few of his players before Liverpool. But the option is there to swap the team around entirely. Let's see how things plan out.
READ NEXT:
Arsenal handed huge £120m financial boost as details of new £600m Adidas deal emerges
Arsenal line-ups vs FK Bodo/Glimt as Tomiyasu is handed new role, Xhaka decision, Nelson starts
Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli new Arsenal contract stance explained
Every word Mikel Arteta said on Saka's Arsenal contract, Saliba's future and Nelson's chance
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
