How Arsenal may line-up vs Brentford as Mikel Arteta left sweating over three key stars

COMMENT: Arsenal could be without a number of key players for their Premier League trip to Brentford on Saturday.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Arsenal need to improve their team in January | Football Digest

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be sweating over the fitness of several of his stars during this international break, before the Gunners return to club duty for their trip to Brentford on Saturday. An away day to Thomas Frank’s side is never an easy task, with Arteta surely hoping that he encounters no further injury blows in the coming days. Fitness worries have already plagued the squad through Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah and here, Express Sport has taken a look at a potential lineup Arteta could deploy against Brentford as a result of those doubts.

Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale

There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the goalkeeper position at Arsenal, but David Raya looks to be the firm number one in Arteta’s eyes. Aaron Ramsdale’s father recently admitted that his son knows he will only get opportunities in cup matches or injury to Raya, but the Spanish stopper is ineligible to face his parent club.

Raya joined Arsenal on loan from Brentford in the summer as opposed to a permanent deal, which ensures that he will be forced to sit Saturday’s game out as Ramsdale has been handed another chance to prove Arteta wrong.

Mikel Arteta will hope he his stars have recovered from their injury doubts. (Image: Getty)

Defence: Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Takehiro Tomiyasu

Arteta will be hoping that his backline comes through international duty without injury, barring Ben White who was not named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad to face Malta and North Macedonia.

Gabriel will need to be a late check should he feature in Brazil’s crunch World Cup qualifier against rivals Argentina just over 72 hours before Arsenal travel to Brentford, while Takehiro Tomiasyu’s defensive capabilities may be preferred over Oleksandr Zinchenko to combat Bees talisman Bryan Mbeumo.

Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading

Gabriel on international duty with Brazil. (Image: Getty)

Midfield: Kai Havertz, Jorginho, Declan Rice

Thomas Partey remains sidelined so Jorginho and Declan Rice are set to continue in the middle of the pitch, but Odegaard remains a fitness doubt. The club captain has missed the last three matches with a hip injury but also suffered a concussion during training.

Norway boss Stale Solbakken provided a positive update that Odegaard is “getting better” and hopes that he will be available for the trip to Brentford. But if he is not fit enough to play, then Kai Havertz could come in after his impressive display at left-back for Germany.

Martin Odegaard has been sidelined recently through injury. (Image: Getty)

Attack: Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli

Arteta is reportedly wary over Brazil’s possible usage of Gabriel Jesus, with the forward expected to start against Argentina on Wednesday. This is despite Jesus missing the last few Arsenal games and the club hoped that he would continue his recovery from injury in London.

Fresh off an injury, it is unlikely that Arsenal will want Jesus to play twice inside a week and Leandro Trossard may be preferred instead. The Belgian has started their last two games against Sevilla and Burnley due to Nketiah’s injury and he could well continue in that role.