Arsenal predicted line-up vs. Southampton: Timber and White among six injury doubts

Title-chasing Arsenal will welcome Russell Martin’s struggling Southampton to the Emirates on Saturday as the Gunners look to continue their fine start to the Premier League season – but Mikel Arteta may have to make do without as many as six first-team players this weekend thanks to injury.

Jurriën Timber is the latest player to pick up a problem and the Dutch defender was substituted at half-time during the impressive 2-0 Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, creating a potential problem at right-back.

We’ve got all the latest team news, injury updates and predicted line-up for you below – and if you’re looking for some information ahead of the Fantasy Premier League deadline, you can also read our resident expert’s latest advice column by clicking here.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Most of Arsenal’s potential injury problems are affecting the back line. Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) will be out until after the October international break and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) is a long-term absentee with no return date set. Goalkeeper David Raya is believed to have come through the last two matches without any further problems following an injury scare last week.

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Timber was taken off as a precaution against PSG, with Arteta telling the media that the 23-year-old “felt something muscular” – no further updates have been provided but any issue that exists is expected to be minor, and given injuries elsewhere it is probable that Timber will be in the starting line-up. Ben White (groin) has missed the last three matches, although Arteta had suggested that he was close to a return ahead of the midweek win. He is seen as fifty-fifty for the game against Southampton and could play if Timber isn’t ready.

Midfield

Club captain Martin Ødegaard remains unavailable after sustaining an ankle ligament injury while on international duty with Norway during the last international break. He should be back in action in time to face Bournemouth on 19 October but will miss out this weekend and was left out of his country’s latest Nations League squad.

Elsewhere in midfield, the Gunners have been boosted by the unexpectedly early return of Mikel Merino. The summer signing picked up a shoulder injury in his very first training session with the club and had been expected to miss two months, but he was able to make his debut from the bench against PSG on Tuesday, several weeks ahead of schedule. He is not expected to start but could play some part.

Forwards

There are no fresh injury problems up front and barring late setbacks it is expected that Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard will be the front three once more, with Kai Havertz playing a slightly deeper role in lieu of Ødegaard.

Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri could push for starts but with Arteta proving to be consistent in his recent selections it is more likely that all three will be among the substitutes.

Full predicted line-up (4-2-3-1)

Raya; Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhães, Saliba, Timber; Rice, Partey; Martinelli, Havertz, Saka; Trossard.