Arsenal welcome Napoli to Emirates Stadium in what will be a very difficult tie for Arsene Wenger’s side.
The Frenchman revealed there are no new injuries in his team news and he also suggested that the fit again Rosicky could be involved.
It seems a wise option as he adds some necessary experience to the side and similarly to Cazorla, he is an attacking midfielder who can play out wide. The most likely player to miss out would be the youngster Serge Gnabry who has played a lot of football recently and could be offered a breather. The downside over swapping Rosicky for the young German is the lack of width the Gunners would have with Wilshere likely to operate from the left once again. Both players would cut in too often and potentially condense the midfield, limiting space for the likes of Ramsey and Özil to exploit and less through ball opportunities.
Elsewhere there will be little changes to the side that beat Swansea, the only other change that I could see happening is deploying Nacho Monreal on the left wing to add more width and pace out wide. He has played there several times this season as a substitute and could be a viable option (see alternative lineup).
Probable lineup:
Szczesny
Sagna Koscielny Mertesacker (c) Gibbs
Ramsey Flamini
Özil
Rosicky Wilshere
Giroud
Likely substitute appearances:
Arteta: The vice captain is struggling to break into the first team lineup with both Flamini and Ramsey un-droppable at present. We can expect to see the Spaniard at some point during the tie.
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Monreal: Capable of playing on the wing if needed, the Spaniard could be an option out wide either from the get go (see below) or as a sub later on in place of Wilshere.
Gnabry: The youngster has played a vast amount of minutes over the past week and a half including the full 120 minutes against West Brom where he went down with cramp. After his goal scoring performance against Swansea he will probably make an appearance with Rosicky unlikely to finish the full 90 minutes.
Possible alternate lineup:
Szczesny
Sagna Koscielny Mertesacker (c) Gibbs
Ramsey Flamini
Özil
Gnabry Monreal
Giroud
What do you think Gooners?? Wilshere could be afforded a rest if Wenger opts to play Monreal in a more advanced role, a move that may be necessary if he decides to start Rosicky in place of Gnabry to provide width. Gnabry could still start of course with Rosicky coming in for a Wilshere – there are a few possible scenarios.
Comment below with your thoughts and ideas!
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