Arsenal are likely to recall a host of their first-team regulars for Sunday’s Premier League visit of Crystal Palace. Gunners boss Unai Emery made ten changes for the 3-2 Europa League win over Vitoria and the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Granit Xhaka and David Luiz are expected to come back in.
Reiss Nelson is the only absentee with a knee injury, while Nicolas Pepe will expect to start after coming off the bench to score twice on Thursday night.
Crystal Palace could see goalkeeper Vicente Guaita return after he was forced to miss the 2-0 home defeat against Manchester City last Saturday because of a groin problem.
Defender Martin Kelly has recovered from a groin injury and has taken part in training all week and so should be involved.
Spanish midfielder Victor Camarasa has struggled for first-team action since he joined on a season-long loan from Real Betis in the summer and boss Roy Hodgson has urged him to “keep working hard and show he is an option”.
Mamadou Sakho continues his rehabilitation as he battles back from a thigh injury, while forward Connor Wickham is also sidelined.
The Eagles have enjoyed a good start to the season and travel across London sitting just one point and one place behind the fifth-placed Gunners, who also lost their last league game 1-0 at Sheffield United on Monday.
However, a cautious Hodgson said: “We are pleased to be close to them in the table but where we are in October or November has no relevance to where you finish. “We are aware of that and people need to examine and discuss that. But we have to be careful about getting too excited about being too high in the table or disappointed about being too low. We will have to see in the spring time.”
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