With a spot in the knockout stages of the competition already confirmed, Arsene Wenger will look to rotate his squad after the weekend loss to Manchester United at Emirates. They will be hosting BATE Borisov at home, who are currently sitting at the bottom of the group with 5 points. A clear victory will help raise the spirits in the dressing room ahead of their weekend fixture against Southampton.
However, an unlikely win against Arsenal can still allow BATE to progress to the next round if the match between FC Koln and FK Red Star Belgrade ends in a draw. The Belarusian club are currently on a five-match unbeaten run and will be motivated to attack the English side with all their might tomorrow night.
A Europa League win is a must for Arsene Wenger in the eyes of the Arsenal faithful along with a competitive challenge for the Premier League title. With Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund set to enter the competition, the challenge seems to get harder and harder for the Frenchman.
Wenger might stick to his regular season 3-4-2-1 formation for tomorrows clash and field the following players :
Defence:
David Ospina will get the nod over Petr Cech in front of goal as per Wenger’s usual rotation policy with the Colombian.
Mathieu Debuchy along with Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding might take up their positions in the 3 men backline as was seen in the match against Koln. Calum Chambers is expected to play as the wing back from the right. Lack of pace might force him to stay back on defensive side to stop the Borisov from cutting in easily. Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the left wing-back position will have more freedom to venture and link up with the attackers.
Midfielder:
Jack Wilshere has been already been confirmed as a starter in the holding midfield position. He has taken up the challenge of competing for a first-team spot in the team with a series of impressive performances, especially in Europe.
Francis Coquelin might feature alongside Wilshere taking up the majority of the defensive duties from the midfield.
Attack:
Theo Walcott is also a confirmed starter for the match tomorrow as he will look to net a goal or two and like Wilshere, improve his chances of selection in the first team. Reiss Nelson can be placed on the right wing to supply Olivier Giroud up top.
The Frenchman has failed to start for Arsenal in the Premier League but is a regular starter in the Europa League with 2 goals in the competition. He will look to increase his goal tally and reaffirm the faith of the French National team coach Didier Deschamps in him.
