“He’s going to be our main striker tomorrow, not Merino”: Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has replaced Mikel Merino as the club’s main striker as a clinical academy man is moved to upfront
Arsenal are preparing to take part in their Champions League last-16 second-leg encounter with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.
Barring an absolutely catastrophic second-leg collapse, Arsenal are set to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, having won 7-1 in the first leg.
With Arsenal taking on Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, Mikel Arteta may well look to shuffle his pack and rest players for the weekend game.
Arteta, speaking to the press ahead of the match, confirmed that one of the Gunners’ previous long-term injury absentees could be back in the starting XI for the game.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal defender Ben White is ready to start against PSV Eindhoven
The player in question is Ben White, who hasn’t been in Arsenal’s starting line-up since November.
The £50million man last started for the Gunners in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on 10 November.
White then underwent knee surgery and was out of action until 22 February, when he came off the bench against West Ham.
White has made two more substitute appearances for Arsenal since then, for a total of 18 minutes, and Arteta says he’s now ready to start.
“Yeah,” Arteta said, as per the Arsenal website, when asked whether White was now ready to start.
“I think we have to manage him very well because he was still having some issues to manage in terms of the load.
“And we’re very cautious of that to make sure that when he comes back, he can now maintain that level, and there’s no more setbacks.
“But I think he’s in a good position now to give him a start.”
Arteta also said White is one of those players who helps make the team into more of a “real threat”.
“That connection that we had on the right side with him, Bukayo and Martin was something exceptional and a real threat in the team, we missed that,” said Arteta.
“It’s true that Jurrien has been equally exceptional as well with his performance and consistency. Now we’re going to have another option, which is great to have.”
Arsenal team news v PSV
Arteta confirmed that there were no fresh fitness or injury worries following the 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
Martinelli is also available, having returned to action at Old Trafford and getting 32 minutes under his belt.
He was in matchday squad for the first time since he was forced off the field after 37 minutes of the League Cup semi-final defeat to Newcastle United over a month ago.
Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain on the sidelines due to injury.
