Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal: Predicted Starting XI To Face Manchester United

By Josh Sippie

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: (L-R) Granit Xhaka, Alexis Sanchez, Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny celebrate the Arsenal goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: (L-R) Granit Xhaka, Alexis Sanchez, Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny celebrate the Arsenal goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Carl Jenkinson
(Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

Carl Jenkinson and Nacho Monreal

Not going to lie, I am not at all tickled about this combination and I am digging through my head for alternatives. It’s not that I lack faith in these two defenders, I just lack faith in their skill set put up against the potentially speedy wide attackers that United may employ.

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Jenkinson is coming in for an injured Bellerin and while he may not have the speed to do what the Spaniard does, he definitely has abilities on both sides of the ball. The problem is he lacks the recovery speed.

Nacho Monreal, meanwhile, is no speed merchant himself. I was very harsh on him prior to his amazing performance against Tottenham, but I find myself leery yet again. He is a solid defender, no doubt, but holding his own against a United side that may have to rely on width is intimidating.

The only potential alternatives would be to utilize Rob Holding and move either him or Mustafi wide right, but either option is a slight on Jenko, so why not just let the lifelong Arsenal man have his chance?

Speaking of Mustafi, let’s get central.