Mikel Arteta to be without five players out of Arsenal’s matchday squad vs Man Utd
Arsenal’s first acquisition of the January transfer window will force Mikel Arteta to make a difficult decision against Manchester United.Â
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that Leandro Trossard had transferred from Brighton & Hove Albion for £21 million. In addition, there is optimism that he will be available for selection this weekend, as the Gunners have confirmed that the necessary paperwork has been submitted to meet the registration deadline.
And his new manager expects the 28-year-old to make an immediate impact for Arsenal: And the 28-year-old has been tipped to make an instant impact for Arsenal by his new manager: “We are really happy to have him. He’s a player we have followed for a while now. The opportunity came – we had the necessity to have a player in the frontline who is versatile enough to play in different positions,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference.
“He knows the league, he has enough experience here and I think he can have an immediate impact on the team. We have to think short-term, but medium and long-term as well. He gives us all of that. He’s a very intelligent player. When you look at his career and what he’s done in the last few years, he’s a player that fits our way of playing.”
With the addition of Trossard, Arsenal now has 25 senior players, according to the club’s official website, and the majority are in contention to face Manchester United.
Now, it is highly unlikely that the Belgian international will start, but if he is cleared to play, it is safe to assume he will be on the bench.
With Sunday’s game being the Gunners’ final Premier League match of the month, Arteta is once again permitted to name a 20-man matchday squad for Man United’s visit. However, he must leave five first-team stars on the bench at the Emirates or at home.
While Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson remain sidelined due to injury, Matt Turner should receive the nod over Karl Hein as Aaron Ramsdale’s backup goalkeeper.
Cedric Soares’ recent absence was due to an injury, as he is recovering from a muscle problem. However, according to football.london, discussions are underway with Fulham regarding a loan deal for the remainder of the season, so he may not play regardless of his fitness.
In the meantime, Arsenal continues to evaluate Mohamed Elneny. The Egyptian was absent from the squad that defeated Tottenham in the North London Derby on Sunday due to a knee injury sustained in training, and Matt Smith will again be on standby.
It should be noted that if Arteta chooses to include a midfielder in his squad, be it Elneny or Smith, Trossard’s selection could come at the expense of a striker.
Marquinhos, who has played just one minute of Premier League football so far this season after signing for $3 million, is perhaps the player most at risk of dropping out entirely.
Mikel Arteta to be without five players out of Arsenal’s matchday squad vs Man Utd
