Arsenal vs. Chelsea on Tue @ 8PM

Gunner89

Discuss.

(Since Sunderland play on Monday eve, I'd go full strength on this one since we'll have similar rest period to them)

Panda

The league is much more important so rotate please.

Kepa
White-Mosquera-Gabriel-MLS
Norgaard
Odegaard-Eze
Madueke-Jesus-Martinelli

Should be good enough to get the job done in an open game.

Qwiss

Panda I'd love to see that. Dropping points after the first leg should be a lesson that we cannot play our first XI again for this.

USArsenal

We're in the second leg of a cup semi final and we're only up by one goal and Chelsea are sure to play a strong, probably full first choice XI. I am pretty certain that we will be fielding a strong team.

Gunner89

USArsenal

100% and sunderland themselves have hardly any extra rest given they play mon, we play tue

Gunner89

No kepa, he is the reason why we chelsea are still in this

We gave him a cl game too recently

FEBravo

Qwiss It's a Cup semi-final and Arteta is desperate for a trophy, even if it's the league cup. He'll go strong with maybe one or two changes but it will be fitness/"load" based. I just don't want to see Kepa after his disaster show in the first leg. Had Raya played, we could really have rotated.

After our recent spell, a loss here (coming in with a goal lead) would be devastating.

Gunner89

Qwiss

That was because Utd had a long break, Sunderland play on mon night, we play on tue night, hardly a difference

It's like 2 clubs playing on seperate ucl nights mid-week and then playing each other on the weekend

Qwiss

FEBravo It's a Cup semi-final

It's the league cup though. Not like CL semi or even the FA cup.

USArsenal

Qwiss

Yeah but a chance for a trophy is a chance for a trophy. If it were an earlier round, we might not put out as strong of a squad, but this is the second leg of the semi finals, at home, against probably a full strength Chelsea team. We can be pretty sure that we will field a pretty strong XI.

tazmania

Arteta is going to play a strong team. No doubt

Qwiss

USArsenal Yeah but a chance for a trophy is a chance for a trophy.

Not all trophies are equal

Claudius

Chelsea played yesterday’s game on edge. They’ll come into our game fired up and looking to kick us into the air. Possibly another game to go with a physical lineup to meet them head on. So sit Saka and Odegaard. Bring them on second half if we need them. Chelsea will be full strength this time, unlike first leg.

HomeSteak

We can mix it up, no full rotation but our squad is good enough for lets say second string players like Merino, Martinelli, Mosquera, MLS, White can play and we are still very good.

USArsenal

Qwiss

And we've won precisely none of them. If it were earlier in the competition, i would agree with you. But one step from the final, we'll go for it.

daredevil

USArsenal

I wouldn't have played any first teamers before this match but at this stage, you have to go for it.

Gunner89

Arsenal fear midfielder Mikel Merino is set for a sustained spell on the sidelines amid concerns he has suffered a serious foot injury.

The 29-year-old Spain international missed Saturday's win over Leeds with manager Mikel Arteta saying the midfielder would see a specialist to determine a full prognosis.

The exact details of the injury will be confirmed over the next 48 hours but there are concerns Merino will be out for a number of weeks.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c2e10w4mzr9o

Might need to trust norgaard in midfield (He's done alright whenever he's played) or get a loan on deadline day

Meatwad

must have been playing through pain and now that everyone is back he can take a break.

Gunner89

Meatwad

Ornstein has also now said it's a suspected broken bone, pretty sure no club medical staff would risk a player in a game with anything like that nor would the player themselves in a world cup year

Gunner89

I really don't think so and nor is he a player who has anything to do with those out except kai to a small extent

there isn't any defensive or deep replacement atm for zubi/rice except norgaard

Gurgen

Rest everyone