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Strongest Possible Arsenal Line Up To Face Galatasaray: Sanchez Returns, Ox & Flamini In Midfield

While the 1-1 draw against North London rivals Tottenham wasn’t a bad result in itself, the worry for Arsenal is the injuries that came about at the end of the game. With an injury list that is already longer than most clubs, the last thing that Arsenal would have wanted was for more players to be added onto that.

The Gunners were already without the likes of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Mathieu Debuchy. The injury to Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta on top of Jack Wilshere’s fitness concerns means that the side are down to the bare bones in terms of midfielders. After defeat to Dortmund in their opening Champions League game, the game against Galatasaray was always going to be key. But now without several key midfielders and defenders, that job will only get even harder for a side that is currently occupying the bottom spot in the Group.

So let us take a look at the strongest available side that Arsene Wenger can put out on Wednesday.

Goalkeeper:

Wojciech Szczesny

If there is one area of the park in which the Gunners have no real concern, it is in the goalkeeper slot. In David Ospina and Szczesny, the Gunners have not one but two top keepers who they can call upon at anytime. Although Ospina made his debut last week in the Capital One Cup, the Colombian is unlikely to start against the Turkish side. The man tasked with the responsibility of ensuring parity in between the sticks is the Polish keeper, who will be relishing the prospect no doubt.

Defenders:

Chambers – Mertesacker – Koscielny – Gibbs

If there is one area of the park in which the club were already short on numbers, that is in defence. So injuries to Debuchy and Monreal mean that Wenger is left with just two senior full backs. Chambers and Gibbs will be the two filling in on the right and left flank respectively with Wenger hoping that nothing happens to them. While Per Mertesacker is a certainty for the centre back, Arsenal are still fretting on the fitness of Laurent Koscielny. If the Frenchman doesn’t recover in time, Wenger might have to push Chambers to centre back and go for Hector Bellerin as right back.

Midfield:

Sanchez – Ozil – Flamini – Oxlade-Chamberlain – Cazorla

At the start of the season, the club looked over-stocked on central midfielder, but injuries to Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere means that Mathieu Flamini is the only recognised senior central midfielder. The Frenchman is likely to play as the shield in front of the back four, with Oxlade-Chamberlain playing just in front of him as a central midfielder. Mesut Ozil will finally get his wish as the German will be the central attacking midfielder, with Alexis Sanchez continuing on the right flank. Santi Cazorla will likely start on the left, but drift inside and interchange with Ozil and make it a more fluid attack.

Strike force:

Danny Welbeck

Up front, new signing Danny Welbeck will continue as the main striker and Wenger will be hoping that the Englishman adds more goals to otherwise perfect all-round game. With Giroud and Sanogo out injured, the Frenchman has no other alternative to Welbeck and thus will be hoping that his new signing clicks into gear against a side that haven’t gotten off to the best of starts to the season.

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