Arteta will still field a very strong team against Nottm Forest today (Predicted XI)

We all know that Mikel Arteta has admitted that he is “very short” of players for today’s game at Nottm Forest, but that doesn’t mean that he cannot still field a very strong team.

Arteta has admitted that there is no point resting players as you never know who will be available anyway. He said: “For me now, it’s very difficult to plan. It’s no priority, you have to go game-by-game, regardless of the competition. You want to plan what’s going to happen in two or three games and you decide for key players not to play because they’re going to play in other matches, it doesn’t work like that, because maybe the next day they get Covid or something happens and you don’t have them! We go game-by-game, try to win every single game and then the rest will be much better.”

So, on that premise, despite being very short of players, I still think Arteta will choose the very best team available.

Obviously midfield is a big problem with Elneny and Partey gone to AFCON, and AMN gone to Roma. It would appear that Xhaka is also out with Covid as he hasn’t been seen training this week, so it looks like Charlie Patino will be on from the start alongside Lokonga.

I am also sure that Leno will be back in goal as our Cup keeper, and I am reasonably sure that Holding will be alongside White in a straight swap for Gabriel, who is suspended. I suspect Tavares and Tierney will be on the flanks.

Up front, I don’t see any changes except for Nketiah coming in for Lacazette, so Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka will keep their places.

So here is my team for today’s game….

Leno
Tavares…White…Holding….Tierney
Lokonga…Patino..
Odegaard…Saka..Martinelli
Nketiah

That should be more than strong enough to beat Forest, surely?

Sam P

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