This Sunday evening, Arsenal will be taking on Aston Villa in what is expected to be the most highly anticipated match of the weekend in the Premier League. The Gunners are counting on their home advantage at the Emirates and their determination to win the league to inspire them to give their all against a depleted Aston Villa.

Mikel Arteta should put out his most formidable team on Sunday to ensure a win. However, when it comes to the lineup he chooses, he might not have the opportunity to include Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber. Heading into this weekend, there were some worries about Gabriel’s physical condition. When questioned about the Brazilian’s readiness for Sunday’s match, Arteta replied, “We have another day to get ready for the game, and we’ll find out tomorrow if everyone is able to play.” We have some other ιnjury concerns, but hopefully with another day, we’ll be fine. 

Hopefully, Gabriel will be ready for Villa. There have been concerns about his current condition, as he has been visibly limping in the last few games due to an ιnjury. If there is any concern, I would expect Arteta to allow him more time to recover before our upcoming match against Bayern Munich. If he’s not in good shape, Jakub Kiwior or Takehiro Tomiyasu might need to take on a bigger role. 

Jurrien Timber, despite his return to full training, is not quite prepared to take the field, as Mikel Arteta explained: “He still has a few more strides to take.” He should consider participating in a match, perhaps with the U21s, and it seems that he will have an upcoming internal game. He has completed all the necessary training and is now focused on improving his match fitness and finding teammates to compete in a full match. That being said, we anticipate Mikel Arteta to choose a strong lineup, regardless of Gabriel’s physical condition. Many players from the Arsenal team are in good physical condition and prepared for action.