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No Ramsey: My Arsenal Starting XI To Take On Anderlecht

By on October 21, 2014

arsenal ramsey arsenal

Arsenal get back to Champions League action tomorrow evening as we take on Anderlecht in Belgium. This is the team I’d like to see Arsene Wenger select…

We have big problems in between the sticks as Wojciech Szczesny is suspended after being sent off against Galatasaray last time out. David Ospina would usually come in but the Colombian is injured so third-choice Emiliano Martinez is set to make just his third start for the club with 17-year-old Ryan Huddart on the bench.

Martinez is extremely raw so the defence is going to have to help him out tomorrow evening by giving him protection and thankfully Calum Chambers is back from a domestic ban.

There is an argument to keep Nacho Monreal in the middle alongside Mertesacker to offer some real experience in front of Martinez but I’d like to see Chambers at centre-back with Bellarin keeping his place at right-back.

After a few weeks of being beset by injuries, we suddenly have options in midfield with both Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta available again.  I certainly think Arteta should come in for Flamini and usually I’d say Rambo should also start as Jack Wilshere has played a lot of football of late.

However, with Jack suspended for Saturday’s trip to Sunderland, it would make sense for him to play on Wednesday and give Ramsey a second half run-out. The Welshman would then be even fresher to start at the weekend.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was well below par against Hull on Saturday but I think he should be given another chance to impress. Theo Walcott is edging his way back into the first team reckoning and there’s talk he might even make the bench but it’s too soon for him to start.

Obviously Mesut Ozil is injured so I’d go with Santi Cazorla in the middle with Sanchez out wide and Welbeck up top.

While this is how I’d line-up, in reality I’d expect Arsene will stick to his 4-1-4-1 formation and he may opt to drop The Ox, play Santi out wide and start both Ramsey and Wilshere in midfield.

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