Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta takes charge of his first home game since football restart on Wednesday night when Norwich City visit the Emirates.
And Arteta is expected to bring some big players back into the team as the Gunners look to punish the Premier League’s bottom side to kick-start a late push for the European places.
After two straight defeats in their return to action following football’s enforced hiatus, Arsenal have been boosted more recently by a league win at Southampton last week followed by Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Sheffield United.
With Arteta’s side going into tonight’s game 10th in the Premier League and nine points off the top six, the FA Cup currently looks like the easier route into Europe.
However, with Manchester City and then either Manchester United or Chelsea standing in their way of a 14th FA Cup, it’s still a pretty tall order.
So everything must be thrown into a last push up the league table in Arsenal’s remaining seven games – starting with the visit of the Canaries.
So, Arteta is expected to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah could be back to lead the Gunners’ charge tonight.
Alexandre Lacazette could drop to the bench after playing the Blades on Sunday, with the Arsenal boss appearing to prefer promising young prospect Nketiah.
The manager looks set to stick with three at the back after the Gunners looked more solid against Sheffield United – although David Luiz could be replaced by Rob Holding in the starting lineup, with the Brazilian centre-half facing a race to be fit after going off with a knee injury on Saturday.
Mesut Ozil (back) and Lucas Torreira (ankle) also face fitness tests – as does Cedric Soares (nose) who will be pushing to make his debut.
Pablo Mari (ankle), Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers (all knee) are long-term absentees.
Struggling Norwich will give fitness tests to Lukas Rupp (hip), Max Aarons (calf) and Adam Idah (quad) ahead of the game at the Emirates Stadium.
Timm Klose (suspension) and Moritz Leitner (hernia) will be absent, but Todd Cantwell is fit to play following an abductor issue.
Defensive trio Grant Hanley, Christoph Zimmermann and Sam Byram (all hamstring) will miss the rest of the season.
Arsenal predicted lineup (3-4-3): Martinez; Tierney, Holding, Mustafi; Bellerin, Xhaka, Ceballos, Saka; Pepe, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
