Arsenal lineup vs. Portsmouth: Predicted XI for FA clash with Madueke, Eze decisions made as Arteta faces defensive conundrum

Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are among those who could be handed starting places, with Mikel Arteta ready to make significant changes for The FA Cup third round on Sunday against Championship wrestlers Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Arsenal manager is widely expected to rest his first-team regulars following Thursday’s goalless draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

Forward Gabriel Jesus will make his second start since returning from a long-term knee injury last month.

Gabriel Martinelli is set to replace Leandro Trossard on the left flank, while Madueke is likely to provide the threat from the right wing, giving star striker Bukayo Saka a vital rest amid a busy schedule.

Former Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard will benefit from an outing alongside Mikel Merino and Eze in the middle of the park.

Eze will look to make a key contribution to Arsenal’s attacking efforts and make their case for playing more regularly after just over 10 minutes of action in the last five Premier League matches.

Ideally, Arteta would like to rest the first-choice central defensive duo of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, but he is light on senior centre-backs, with Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera out of action and Piero Hincapie unlikely to feature after being sent off in the second half against Liverpool.

As a result, Arteta may be tempted to keep Gabriel out and bring in 16-year-old Marli Salmon for her first senior start after making her debut in December’s Champions League win over Club Brugge.

Alternatively, the Arsenal boss could decide to introduce a central midfielder into the back four, especially if he expects his side to enjoy an overwhelming share of possession at Fratton Park.

Myles Lewis-Skelly will be brought in to operate at left-back, while Ben White is expected to feature on the right side of defence, although he is another option to play in the middle of the backline.

Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga has played in all of Arsenal’s EFL Cup matches this season and is set to benefit from more game time in the FA Cup.

Possible Arsenal starting lineup:

Arrizabalaga; White, Salmon, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Merino, Norgaard, Eze; Madeuke, Martinelli, Jesus