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4-3-2-1: Wilshere & Ozil out: My Arsenal XI to face Southampton

By on April 6, 2018

Rob-Holding-arsenal

Arsenal get back to Premier League action when we take on Southampton at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. Here is the team I would like to see Arsene Wenger select….

Goalkeeper: Cech

Ospina has been ruled out for at least two weeks with an ankle injury so Cech is going to have to keep goal in both the league and Europa League.

Defence: Chambers, Holding, Mustafi, Kolasinac

We have no chance of finishing in the top four so this is basically a dead rubber and we should rest as many players as possible ahead of the second leg against CSKA Moscow.

Koscielny and his dodgy Achilles are sure to be rested but I’d also give Bellerin and Monreal a breather in the full-back positions.

Kolasinac can come in on the left, Chambers could fill-in on the right while Holding would line-up alongside Mustafi in the middle of the back four.

Midfield: Elneny, Ramsey, Xhaka

Wilshere didn’t have his best game on Thursday night so perhaps it’s time he had a little rest. Elneny can come in and allow Xhaka to move in to a slightly more advanced role.

Ideally we’d also rest Ramsey after he highlighted just how important he is to the team with another excellent performance against CSKA but we don’t have too many options waiting in the wings.

I would have started Maitland-Niles but he’s still injured so I’d have to pick Elneny, Xhaka and Ramsey as the midfield three.

Attack: Welbeck, Iwobi, Aubameyang

Aubameyang is unavailable in Europe so obviously he should start on Sunday afternoon and he’ll be looking to build on his brace against Stoke City last weekend.

Lacazette has looked sharp since returning from a knee injury but I wouldn’t risk him from the start this weekend as he’ll need to line-up in Russia.

Ozil was outstanding last night. It was a world class performance and I think the playmaker should be wrapped in cotton wool but no doubt Wenger will still play him against Southampton.

Mkhitaryan is facing a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury against CSKA so it’s even more reason to protect Mesut.  Therefore, I’d go with Iwobi and Welbeck in support of Aubameyang in attack.

This is the team I hope we see: