Confirmed Team News - Arsenal vs Besiktas Preview

Evening all,

The beginning of our crucial Champions League campaign is upon us but in truth, we could be in better shape.

After overcoming a resilient Crystal Palace with a fairly thin defence, injury to Kieran Gibbs has now left us comparable to Nicole Ritchie and a stick man's love child. With Mertesacker still absent due to lack of match fitness and Koscienly making it through a late fitness test, our options are most certainly limited in this part of the pitch.

This isn't the only area that we are affected in; Yaya Sanogo is another casualty from the weekend which, if you ask me, is a blessing in disguise. He really struggled on Saturday and whilst his potential is something Le Boss strongly believes in, we looked a far better team with Giroud leading the line.

I would personally be tempted giving Sanchez a go up front alone and bringing in Chamberlain but that is my obsession with pace and the way I think we should play. If only life was football manager. *Looks longingly into the distance.*

Anyway, digression aside, here is all the team news according to Arsenal.com:

Theo Walcott - 3 weeks
Kieran Gibbs - 3 weeks
David  Ospina - 3 weeks
Serge Gnabry - No return date

Starting today will be:




I expect this team to get a result and am touching wood (get your mind out of the gutter) that nobody, especially in defence, sustains an injury.

Come on Arsenal.

Prediction: Besiktas 0 - 2 Arsenal

Let me know your predictions below.

GoonerVerse.