Predicted Arsenal Starting XI To Take On Napoli – Wilshere Dropped?

Arsenal are in Italian to take on Napoli on Wednesday evening looking to secure their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Gunners need to avoid a 3-goal defeat to ensure they are in the last 16 but Arsene Wenger will be hoping to bring away at least a point that will guarantee they finish in top spot.

The Frenchman has already confirmed he will resist the temptation to make wholesale changes, despite facing a tough trip to face Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime.

Bacary Sagna has been ruled out of the game with a hamstring strain so Carl Jenkinson will continue at right-back, and the rest of the back five should remain unchanged.

Central midfield has became a hugely competitive area of the team and it’s difficult to know who Wenger is going to go with. There’s an argument he might select both Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta to give a more defensive minded base, as he did in the home game against Napoli, but this would mean either dropping or moving Aaron Ramsey from his favoured position. So I think Flamini’s superior pace and tenacious spirit should see him start ahead of Arteta alongside the Welshman.

Theo Walcott should be handed his first start in over two months with his pace likely to cause the home side problems, while Tomas Rosicky may get the nod over the below-par Santi Cazorla on the left due to his excellent work-rate.

This would mean there is no place for Jack Wilshere, who may drop to the bench after starting five of Arsenal’s last six games. Here’s the team Wenger may select:

What do you think of the team? What starting eleven would you like to see Wenger go with? Share your suggestions below.