Arsenal will host Swansea City at the Emirates for yet another Monday night Premier League clash. Arsene Wenger’s men will be looking to stay on course for a top two finish by exacting revenge on the side, who defeated them 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium back in November.
Team News
Arsenal – The manager has confirmed that England striker Danny Welbeck, who is nursing a knee injury, hasn’t returned to training ahead of Monday evening’s encounter, but is on course to face his old side Manchester United at Old Trafford the following Sunday.
Aaron Ramsey who bagged a goal against Hull City earlier this week is a doubt receiving a knock to his fibula, but has a fair chance of being named in the squad.
Club captain Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) all remain out.
Swansea City – The man who grabbed the winner in the reserve fixture, Bafetimbi Gomis, is set to return to the team after being sidelined by a hamstring injury during his club’s last three fixtures, as loan signing Nelson Oliveira is out for the rest of the season with an ankle problem.
Defenders Jordi Amat (broken metatarsal) and Kyle Naughton, midfielders Tom Carroll and Wayne Routledge are also sidelined through injuries, but the club will be boosted by the returns of both Jazz Richards and Dwight Tiendalli, who were loaned to Championship sides Fulham and Middlesbrough respectively.
Predicted Line-Ups
Arsene Wenger is very likely to stick with the same winning team who swept Hull City aside on Monday, but Ramsey may be the only change from the starting XI.
His absence could see Theo Walcott slot in the side on the wing, with Cazorla and Ozil playing more central roles.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski is set to return to the Emirates to face the side he parted ways with last summer, having spent 8 years with the club.
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Walcott, Alexis, Giroud
Subs: Szczesny, Gabriel, Chambers, Gibbs, Wilshere, Flamini, Rosicky
Swansea: Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Ki, Shelvey, Dyer, Sigurdsson, Montero, Gomis
Subs: Tremmel, Bartley, Richards, Tiendalli, Britton, Cork, Emnes