[ad_1]
There’s been a lot of talk about Saliba’s injury and the impact it has had on Arsenal’s title bid but the same sort of emphasis can be placed on the absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Tomiyasu was ruled out for the season after injuring his knee against Sporting Lisbon last month – the same costly game which saw Saliba sustain his back injury.
The injury to the Japan international has left White as the only fit senior right-back available to Arteta, a reason we may have not seen him move inside to partner Gabriel sooner. But if the time has come for White to move inside, who could play on the right?
Oleksandr Zinchenko has been Arsenal’s first choice left-back all season ahead of Kieran Tierney, with the Ukraine international adding a new dimension to the Gunners as an inverted full-back. However, could it be time for Zinchenko and Tierney to both start with the former City star, who played a period of Ukraine’s European Championship qualifying defeat to England in March at right-back, moving over to the right flank with Tierney filling the left-back spot.
Arsenal team news – Xhaka starts
Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson.
Man City team news – Laporte benched
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji; Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Silva, Haaland, Grealish.
Subs: Phillips, Laporte, Ortega, Alvarez, Gomez, Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Lewis.
[ad_2]
