West Ham United will host an Arsenal side without two of Mikel Arteta’s key players at the London Stadium on Sunday evening.
Unfortunately for the Hammers, Bukayo Saka is not among the walking – or limping – wounded.
Saka is playing through the pain of an Achilles issue at the moment. The England international has started only two of the last nine games in all competitions, and did not manage more than 60 minutes in either of those. Yet, Saka still managed to fire Arsenal into the Champions League final in midweek, days after netting in a 3-0 victory over Fulham.
What changes would you make to this team and why? 👀
West Ham United will therefore be preparing for the visit of the Gunners presuming that not only will Saka be passed fit to play, he will most likely start on the right-hand flank.
Bukayo Saka likely to start during West Ham United vs Arsenal
“[Working with Saka is] a joy. I feel extremely lucky to find somebody at the club that you can lean into at any level, knowing that he’s going to respond,” Arteta said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“Knowing that his heart is in the right place, knowing that everything that he does comes beyond certain values, certain education, certain principles. It’s been a joy. On the human level, I think we know him. And on the football level, what he has provided to this club and what he did the other night is just remarkable.”
While Saka appears set to play through the pain barrier once again, Arteta confirms there is ‘no chance’ of either Jurrien Timber or Mikel Merino featuring at the London Stadium.
While not a regular starter, Merino has proven himself to be a very solid source of goals since joining from Real Sociedad.
Only Leandro Trossard has more assists than roving right-back Timber
“[Timber’s injury] has been probably the most difficult thing to manage, with the player, with myself as well, because we didn’t expect it to take so long,” Arteta says. “At the moment, he’s not fit to play.”
Mikel Arteta has a midfield dilemma after Atletico Madrid win
After Arsenal defeated West Ham 2-0 at the Emirates in October, Arteta credited Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Zubimendi with helping to break down the visitors’ low block.
Calafiori’s unpredictable movement caused havoc on the left, while Timber drew a foul from El Hadji Malick Diouf for the penalty converted by Saka.
To boo or not to boo, that is the question… 😂
Timber is definitely unavailable this weekend, and Zubimendi might not feature in the XI either. Arteta spoke glowingly about the performance of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid; the academy graduate starting ahead of Zubimendi in midfield.
In the other corner, Nuno has no fresh injury concerns at West Ham.
“We talked immediately after the game,” Arteta adds; the Arsenal boss is determined to keep the focus on West Ham despite a looming Champions League final against PSG.
“This is great, what a moment. We earned it, we will have time to prepare and get ready for that final. But now, the focus, the attention, the detail, the energy, everything has to be put into West Ham. There is nothing else there and we made it very clear.”
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