Martin Odegaard has added to the list of absentees in the Arsenal camp ahead of the club’s meeting with their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The medical staff helped the Arsenal captain leave the pitch after he sustained an ankle injury during Norway’s UEFA Nations League encounter with Austria. This has led fans wondering how the Arsenal NLD lineup would look.
The North London derby could not have come at a worse time for Arsenal as they will miss several other key players in the clash. Declan Rice will not travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend as he serves a one-match suspension. New signing Mikel Merino could have replaced the former West Ham man, but he has picked up an unfortunate injury in training.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is another player who will watch from the sidelines, while Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Jesus face a race against time to feature in the match.
Arsenal NLD Lineup: Best and Worse Case Scenarios
Best Possible Case: Gabriel Jesus Available
Arsenal’s hopes of securing a victory this weekend could receive a significant boost if Gabriel Jesus returns. The Brazilian forward has been sidelined since the team’s trip to Aston Villa, where he sustained what was initially deemed a minor injury. However, his absence from the Brighton match raised concerns among supporters that the issue might be more serious than first believed.
Kai Havertz has been Mikel Arteta’s priority choice to lead the line. With Odegaard out of the equation, Havertz can take the playmaker role. Jorginho will come in as Rice’s replacement and Jesus will spearhead the frontline.
Odegaard’s absence could open the door for a surprise start for the teenage sensation, Ethan Nwaneri. While many fans would love to see the young prodigy take center stage, a more likely scenario would involve Jorginho and Partey anchoring the midfield, while Havertz operates in a second striker role.
What If Gabriel Jesus Is Unavailable?
If Jesus fails to recover in time, Arteta can turn to Leandro Trossard. The Belgian feels more comfortable in wider areas, but he can be a lethal force down the middle. He is one of the best finishers in the current squad. If he gets the midfield service right, he could find the back of the net as the makeshift number nine.
Raheem Sterling can also play in that role. While the Chelsea loanee also prefers to operate wider, he has played as a striker before and has the necessary skillset to wreak havoc in the Spurs backline.
Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Sterling perfected his ability to drift away from defenders and create scoring opportunities. He became renowned for his uncanny knack of making those darting runs to the back post, where he would often find himself in prime positions to convert high-quality chances.
Arteta, of course, would be well aware of this. He has worked with Sterling at City as an assistant coach, so he would know what he needs to do to get the best out of the Englishman.
