Arsenal vs Schalke: Preview, Team News, Likely Line-ups & Predicted Score

Arsenal welcome German outfit Schalke to the Emirates tonight for their Champions League Group B encounter.

Arsenal will be hoping to make it three wins from three after victories over Montpellier and Olympiakos and another win tonight would put us on the verge of qualification to the knockout stages.

Arsene Wenger will be looking for a response from his players after Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 loss to Norwich. We put in one of our worst performances of recent seasons and another display like that tonight will surely end with another defeat.

The good news is that we boast an impressive record at home in the Champions League against foreign opposition, with no team outside the Premier League beating us in 45 attempts.

Steve Bould will continue in the dug-out as Arsene Wenger completes his (ridiculous) three-match touchline ban.

Team News

Wenger confirmed that tonight’s game will come too soon for Jack Wilshere, who completed 90 minutes for the under-21’s on Monday. The 20-year-old will have to wait till the weekend before making his first team comeback.

We have a growing injury list with Theo Walcott, Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Abou Diaby, Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski and Tomas Rosicky all missing.

Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Frimpong are also short of fitness and won’t be considered. However, defender Laurent Koscielny is expected to start after recovering from a back problem.

Julian Draxler is available for the visitors after recovering from a broken arm sustained against Montpellier last month. However, defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos has been left at home after failing to overcome a bout of chicken pox in time to make the trip to London.

Likely Line-ups

Predicted Score

Despite Saturday’s poor performance, Arsene Wenger has little option but to stick with almost the same eleven, such are our injury problems at present. Laurent Koscielny is the only possible change.

It’s almost unthinkable Arsenal could put in another abject display like they did against Norwich and I still feel we’ve got enough to beat Schalke. But we’ll have to be solid at the back as the Germans have an impressive attacking quartet.

I’m going with a narrow Gunners victory. Arsenal 2-1 Schalke. COYG!

What would your starting eleven be and what’s your score prediction? Get involved in the comments section.

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