Ezri Konsa could make his Arsenal debut against Aston Villa, while Mikel Arteta has reason to be more cautious with Bruno Guimaraes.
Mikel Arteta could make just one change to the Arsenal side that opened their Premier League title defence with a 3-0 win over Coventry City, with Ezri Konsa pushing to start against his former club.
Both Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes have travelled with the squad for Monday night’s trip to Villa Park, offering Arteta two fresh options after neither played a part against Coventry.
But the two find themselves in very different situations.
Konsa has slotted straight into full training since arriving from Villa, and Arteta left no doubt about the defender’s fitness when he spoke to the media.
“He’s available,” Arteta said. “He’s trained really well and he will be available for selection.”
Guimaraes is back in training too, but the Brazilian is still working his way back from the injury that kept him out of the Premier League’s opening weekend. Arteta, understandably, has sounded a more cautious note when discussing his midfielder.
Could Ezri Konsa Make An Immediate Arsenal Debut?
Cristhian Mosquera, for his part, has hardly put a foot wrong.
The Spaniard partnered Gabriel Magalhaes as Arsenal swept past Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, then kept his place for the win over Coventry, helping Arteta’s side open the season with back-to-back clean sheets.
Konsa’s arrival hands Arteta a decision to make, rather than plugging a glaring gap.
Even so, there’s a strong argument for making the change at Villa Park. William Saliba is still sidelined with his back issue, while Konsa has impressed enough in training for Arteta to declare him ready. And with Konsa returning to a ground and team he knows inside out, having only just left Villa, the timing feels right.
Ben White is set to continue at right-back, with Gabriel likely to partner Konsa and Riccardo Calafiori keeping his spot on the left. David Raya, meanwhile, remains the clear first choice in goal.
If so, Konsa would be the only change to the back four that started against Coventry.
Arsenal Should Be Careful With Bruno Guimaraes?
Guimaraes travelling is a positive sign, especially after missing out entirely on the opening weekend.
The £75 million summer signing suffered his problem during the Community Shield against Manchester City, when he was replaced at half-time and later pictured with ice strapped to his thigh. Before the Coventry match, Arteta would only say: “Let’s see how he is. He’s evolving really well.” Guimaraes was ultimately left out of the squad.
There’s been progress since then. Guimaraes is back on the pitch and involved in training, but Arteta has again stopped short of saying he’s fully ready to face Villa.
“We need to manage his load to get to Monday in the best possible condition to be able to get selected,” Arteta said.
Asked directly about his availability, the Arsenal manager replied: “Yes, potentially available.”
All of which makes it tough to predict whether he’ll start straight away.
Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Odegaard formed the midfield trio against Coventry, with Zubimendi also picking up minutes, so with Guimaraes still being eased back, there’s little reason to break that up,
Starting him on the bench would let Arteta manage his minutes, rather than throwing him straight into a Premier League start at Villa Park after missing the opener.
Tzolis, Havertz and Saka Deserve to Continue
If anything, the case for keeping Arsenal’s front three together is even stronger.
Christos Tzolis picked up where he left off in pre-season, involved in two goals before making way in the second half. Bukayo Saka marked his return to the starting XI with a goal, and Kai Havertz found the net again after also scoring against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Odegaard was on the scoresheet too, giving Arteta little reason to tinker with an attacking unit that has hit the ground running.
Arsenal’s squad is deeper now than it was on opening night, but that doesn’t mean sweeping changes are needed. Konsa seems the most likely to come straight into the XI, while Guimaraes’ return gives Arteta another option from the bench.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Tzolis.
