Arsenal take on Championship side Preston North End at Deepdale in the Carabao Cup round of 16, looking for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Gunners have an excellent record against lower-league opposition in the League Cup and will back themselves to come out on top against a team with three wins from their opening 12 league games (17 goals conceded).
However, they need to be careful. The Gunners have failed to go further than the fourth round in their previous two Carabao Cup campaigns. They were knocked out by Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United.
Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from a few indifferent results in recent weeks, including a surprising loss to Bournemouth, an unconvincing win over Shakhtar Donetsk and a bitter draw against Liverpool.
Despite these setbacks, the Gunners remain formidable and will be expected to dispatch Preston comfortably.
Arsenal will be without several key players, including Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber, who suffered injuries in their recent match against Liverpool.
Also, Riccardo Calafiori is battling an injury that forced him to miss the game against the Reds.
Meanwhile, captain Martin Odegaard is back on grass training but likely won’t play in the game. The Norwegian has been sidelined since picking up an injury during the September international break. Bukayo Saka has been nursing an injury but should get the day off to recover fully.
These injuries could open the door for young talents like Ayden Heaven and Myles Lewis-Skelly to make their first-team debuts.
Talented attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri is expected to feature in the squad to face Preston. The fans have urged Arteta to use him more, and tomorrow could be a chance to stake a claim for his place in the first team.
Arsenal Predicted Line-up v Preston
(4-3-3): Tommy Setford; Josh Nichols, Ayden Heaven, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Ethan Nwaneri, Jorginho, Mikel Merino; Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.
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