Arsenal XI vs Man Utd: Rice, Odegaard to return and Jesus decision made as Mikel Arteta make two changes…

Arsenal’s predicted starting XI against Manchester United features two returning stars and a decision regarding Jesus.

Expected Arsenal lineup for the match against Manchester United: Rice and Odegaard are set to return; Jesus will lead the attack.

As Arsenal faces Manchester United, they aim to make significant progress towards the Premier League title while eliminating another major contender from their schedule. Following a weekend where Mikel Arteta’s squad capitalized on the defeats of Manchester City and Aston Villa, they have established a seven-point lead.

Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are expected to rejoin the starting eleven for Arsenal as they host Manchester United at the Emirates this Sunday.

Arsenal is keen to extend their seven-point advantage at the top of the Premier League standings when they welcome Manchester United to the Emirates on Sunday evening. Mikel Arteta has received encouraging news regarding the team’s fitness ahead of this crucial match.

The Spanish manager is on the verge of having a fully fit squad, potentially for the first time this season, as Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie have made significant progress in their recovery from muscle injuries. Furthermore, Kai Havertz is also regaining his fitness.

Currently, Max Dowman (ankle) is the only player unavailable, and he has primarily been a backup this season. During his pre-match press conference, Arteta shared updates on the fitness of Calafiori, Hincapie, and Havertz.

The Arsenal manager stated, “We still have another training session, so we’ll see tomorrow, after that, to assess everybody and make a decision, first of all in the squad. Well, he [Havertz] is very close. Obviously, he has been out for a long time, almost a year, for different reasons, and now we have to be very smart in the manner that we manage that load, the minutes.”

“I am sure in the next few weeks he is going to play in minutes. I cannot tell you which competition because that will depend as well on the game context, and it is a context that is positive to throw him in or not with his qualities. It is great to see him back.

David Raya is the automatic choice in goal, as Arsenal prepares to adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation against Manchester United on Sunday. The defensive lineup will include Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Piero Hincapie. If fit, Riccardo Calafiori could also return to the left-back position.

In the midfield, Declan Rice will team up with Martin Zubimendi in a double pivot, while Martin Odegaard will take on the no. 10 role. Up front, Gabriel Jesus is likely to remain as the central striker, supported by Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka on the flanks. On the bench, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres will serve as backup options.

Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Jesus