Coming up against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for the clash.

After the Liverpool League Cup match was postponed, Arsenal have had a week off between their clash with Manchester City and their FA Cup game this weekend, so the whole squad will be rested for the trip to Nottingham.

All the same, Arsenal have a trip to Anfield and a North London derby coming up next week, so Mikel Arteta is likely to make some changes to his starting lineup.

Arteta will be the man leading the team, having recovered from his infection and returned to training. Here’s the Arsenal side we’re predicting him to select against Nottingham Forest.

Goalkeeper

Bernd Leno should start in goal, as Arsenal’s cup goalkeeper this season. Aaron Ramsdale will be available to make the bench, and Arthur Okonkwo is back in training as the third-choice option after a recent absence.

Defence

Gabriel Magalhaes is unavailable through suspension, but he may well not have been picked to start this match anyway. Rob Holding should come in alongside Ben White, as Arteta doesn’t even seem to trust Calum Chambers or Pablo Mari to start in the cup games.

In the full-back positions, Nuno Tavares and Cedric Soares could give Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu a rest ahead of a busy week.

Midfield

Arsenal’s midfield has been ravaged since the last game. Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny left for AFCON, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is off on loan to AS Roma, and Granit Xhaka has been mysteriously absent from training.

If Xhaka has Covid-19 or a knock, Arsenal are low on options to replace him. Arteta may decide to turn to Charlie Patino for a full debut alongside Albert Sambi Lokonga at the base of midfield.

Other options include pushing Chambers or White up into midfield, or dropping Emile Smith Rowe or Martin Odegaard back. But this does seem like a good opportunity to give Patino a chance.

Ahead of him, Smith Rowe will likely give Odegaard a rest. The young England international has earned a start with all his goals off the bench.

Forwards

Once again, Arsenal are a little low on options here, following the AFCON call-ups for Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Bukayo Saka may well be set to keep his place, though academy star Omari Hutchinson has been in training and could make the bench to come on when Saka needs a rest.

Folarin Balogun is edging closer to a loan move, so Gabriel Martinelli might also keep his spot on the other side. But Eddie Nketiah can come in up front, having recovered from Covid.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest