It is a well known fact that most top teams like to give some of their top players a rest in the arly stages of the FA Cup, especially if they are competing for the Premiership title or the Champions League, but Arsene Wenger has admitted that he will be using the same squad that was available for the game against Southampton this week, and will not be promoting any youth players.
Arsenal are the holders and should put up a rugged defence of our trophy, and as we are playing the Hull team that gave us a run for our money at Wembley last May, we cannot expect an easy game even though we are now the home side.
With no Arteta or Flamini available it looks like we will go again with Coquelin and Chambers in midfield again, and we definitely don’t have any fit strikers now the (injured?) Podolski is sunning himself in Italy. When Wenger was asked who would be playing against Hull, he said: “Honestly I have to check who is available and who is not,”
“The two keepers, Ospina and Martinez, will come in. After that, we will see. I cannot rotate too much either because we need stability. Who comes back? We have the 18 players that played against Southampton – nobody else will play.
“At least we play at home after the Christmas period. That’s not bad, because you play on December 26, 28 and on New Year’s Day. At the moment, we have a decimated squad, so that means everybody will have to contribute very well and a lot. The fact that you play at home can be an advantage.”