Arteta to make 6 changes | Predicted Arsenal XI vs Club Brugge as £39m star returns

Arsenal take on Club Brugge in tonight’s Champions League clash on the road.

The Gunners are top of the league phase of the competition with 15 points, ahead of Bayern Munich on goal difference. They have the opportunity to reclaim a three-point lead by beating Brugge.

Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed several absentees.

Declan Rice (illness) and Leandro Trossard (knock) have not travelled to Belgium. Alongside them, Max Dowman is sidelined after picking up an ankle injury.

William Saliba has yet to recover from a minor concern. Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristian Mosquera and Kai Havertz are likewise ruled out for the European encounter.

We anticipate the manager to make at least six changes. The game offers Arteta an ideal opportunity to rotate his starting XI, with Brugge in a dismal run of form.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Line-up:

David Raya kept four straight clean sheets in the competition before conceding against Bayern in the 3-1 win. The Spaniard will be eyeing another shutout at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

The backline could witness one change from the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. Myles Lewis-Skelly could come in for Riccardo Calafiori in the left-back position.

Calafiori is already suspended for the league clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Arteta could still go with Lewis-Skelly, who is a Champions League regular.

The Arsenal graduate has started three of the last four European matches. He could play at least 60 minutes tonight in preparation for the Wolves game this weekend.

With the vast defensive injury crisis, Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie are pretty much guaranteed to start in central defence, with Ben White continuing from right-back.

Rice has been ruled out of the encounter due to illness. We would also rest Martin Zubimendi, thus handing Christian Norgaard his second European start of the season in the number six position.

Martin Odegaard should likewise be given a breather, having started back-to-back matches after his injury return. Mikel Merino could drop into a central midfield role tonight to cover up for Rice’s absence.

We anticipate Ethan Nwaneri to replace Odegaard in the attacking midfield position.

In the final third, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze could also be given a breather. Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli could start on the right and left wing respectively against Brugge.

The duo scored coming off the bench during the 3-1 win over Bayern last month. Martinelli, valued at £39 million by Transfermarkt, has netted in each of his last four European games.

Viktor Gyokeres looks poised to lead the line for the Gunners. He has not started since his injury comeback with three substitute appearances and could finally make the first XI.

The Sweden international scored a brace in his last European outing against Atletico at home. He will be eyeing his maiden Champions League goal on the road for the Gunners.

How Arsenal could line up vs Club Brugge

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

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