4-3-3 Arsenal lineup against Burnley: Rice, Saka to return in much-changed team; Martinelli out…

4-3-3 Arsenal lineup against Burnley: Rice, Saka to return in a significantly altered team; Saliba unavailable

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are set to make their return in a significantly altered Arsenal lineup as they face Burnley at Turf Moor this Saturday.

Arsenal aims to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League table when they clash with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta has received encouraging updates regarding team news ahead of this latest match.

Both Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori are fully fit and prepared to face Burnley. However, Arteta remains concerned about William Saliba’s fitness, with the French international potentially not returning until the midweek UEFA Champions League match against Slavia Praha.

Gabriel Martinelli is also still sidelined due to an injury. The Brazilian forward joins Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus in the treatment room.

Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta shared updates on the injured players.

The Arsenal manager stated, “Martinelli is still out, and we have to wait and see on Saliba.

We have another training session this afternoon, and the rest are getting closer, I believe in the right direction, but they are not available yet. We don’t know for sure, but I think this game may come too soon for him.”

“I would estimate weeks for some of them [Odegaard, Madueke, Havertz, and Jesus], hopefully pretty soon if they continue to progress as they are. It’s challenging to predict a return date, especially with the upcoming international break, which lasts two weeks, and after that, I believe we’ll have some players back. I can’t say if it will be all of them or just some, but we should be quite close by then.”

“I’m excited because they are exceptional players. I observe them working every single day, how eager they are to be part of the team, and the significant boost it will provide for the squad to have those players back after such a lengthy absence. I’m genuinely pleased that I believe it will be very soon.

David Raya is the automatic choice in goal, as Arsenal sets up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Burnley on Saturday. The defense will consist of Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Riccardo Calafiori.

In the midfield, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are the clear picks for the double pivot.

Eberechi Eze will take on the no. 10 position, while Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard will operate as the two wide forwards.

Lastly, Viktor Gyokeres will spearhead the attack for the away team against Burnley.

Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres