ARSENAL are set to take on rivals Tottenham this Sunday without several first team players.
The Gunners saw their ten-match winning streak snapped as they drew 2-2 at Sunderland before the international break.
Mikel Arteta‘s side sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League going into this weekend’s North London derby.
Tottenham have the Prem’s best away record and have not yet lost a league game on the road under Thomas Frank.
And this Sunday they’ll face a Gunners side missing a number of key men, albeit without the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani themselves.
Key defender Gabriel Magalhaes limped off during Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates on Saturday.
The 27-year-old subsequently pulled out of the squad, with his national team confirming that he’d suffered a right thigh injury.
Gabriel has started every single match in the league and Champions League so far this term.
Boss Mikel Arteta must decide whether to replace his key defender with either Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie.
The latter’s left-sidedness could give him the edge over fellow summer signing Mosquera.
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Jurrien Timber will get the nod over Ben White at right-back, with Riccardo Calafiori shaking off a minor issue on international duty to be selected over Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left.
Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice will continue in midfield, although the match may come just too soon for skipper Martin Odegaard, who has been suffering with a knee injury.
Eberechi Eze, who declined a move to Spurs in order to sign for boyhood club Arsenal in the summer, will likely complete Arteta’s midfield trio.
Up top, the Spaniard may still be missing Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres.
Bukayo Saka will be selected on the right, with Leandro Trossard likely to continue on the left.
Should Gyokeres miss out, Mikel Merino may deputise up front.