Arsenal are expected to bring Bukayo Saka back into their starting eleven for Sunday's Premier League match at Nottingham Forest, according to the London Evening Standard. The England winger began the midweek Champions League win over Lille among the substitutes before entering in the second half and producing a goal and an assist inside six minutes. Manager Mikel Arteta said afterwards that Saka had been managing a minor illness, and the Standard reports he should be fit to begin at the City Ground.
Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard are also tipped to return to the visitors' first XI in the Midlands. The Standard's predicted Arsenal side lines up in a 4-2-3-1, with David Raya in goal behind a back four of Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori. Declan Rice and Bruno Guimaraes are named in the double pivot, with Saka, Odegaard and Eberechi Eze supporting Havertz through the middle.
Why it matters
Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich on Wednesday for a significant Champions League fixture, which raises the question of how heavily Arteta rotates his squad. The Standard notes, however, that with two European victories already secured this season, a weakened Arsenal lineup at Forest would come as a surprise. The match therefore offers a test of the manager's willingness to prioritise league points while a major European away day looms days later.
Selection calls across the pitch
Calafiori is expected to feature from the start in the Midlands after being rested entirely against Lille on Tuesday, per the Standard. The Italian's fresh legs may matter given the quick turnaround before the trip to Germany.
Further forward, the Standard judges that Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino did not make strong enough cases for greater involvement with their midweek displays, while Eze did find the net in that comfortable victory. Noni Madueke has also carried a threat when deployed from the left, giving Arteta another option in the continued absence of Christos Tzolis. The Standard reports that Tzolis, who suffered a hamstring problem while playing for Greece, is hoped to be available again within the next few weeks.
At right-back, the manager faces a choice between Ben White and Jurrien Timber. The Standard suggests White could be preferred at Forest as Timber's workload continues to be handled with care following his injury troubles.
In midfield, Martin Zubimendi may be available again, but Piero Hincapie is still sidelined. According to the Standard, Hincapie sustained an ankle injury in a post-match training session that went badly wrong after last weekend's 2-1 home win over Leeds.
William Saliba, a long-term absentee, has resumed individual training after a serious back injury picked up at the World Cup. The Standard reports that a return could come at some stage in November, though he is not yet close to being considered for selection.
Forest's own concerns
The hosts have fitness questions of their own. Nottingham Forest's own website flagged that Milenković and MGW are doubts for the visit of Arsenal, while Sky Sports reported on head coach Oliver Glasner's efforts to address the club's difficulties in front of goal ahead of this fixture.
For Arsenal, the afternoon is about collecting points without compromising their preparations for Munich. The Standard's projected XI — Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Havertz — reflects a strong, largely first-choice selection rather than a side built around Wednesday.
What to watch: whether Arteta confirms that lineup and how he manages minutes for Saka, Odegaard and Havertz with the Bayern match only three days away.
