Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Predicted starting XI – Rob Holding returns?

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Rob Holding looks on during the Premier League 2 match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on August 23, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Rob Holding looks on during the Premier League 2 match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on August 23, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images) /
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WATFORD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 15: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal clears from Will Hughes of Watford during the Premier League match between Watford FC and Arsenal FC at Vicarage Road on September 15, 2019 in Watford, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
WATFORD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 15: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal clears from Will Hughes of Watford during the Premier League match between Watford FC and Arsenal FC at Vicarage Road on September 15, 2019 in Watford, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

Wing-Backs

Part of the reason why I believe Unai Emery will switch to a back three is the full-back options that he has available to him. While Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin have returned to first-team training, Thursday’s match will come too soon for either to partake in. That leaves the same pair that started against Watford: Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right and Sead Kolasinac on the left.

Both struggled greatly against Watford, especially when tasked with progressing the ball into the middle third, evading the Watford high press in the process. Perhaps, then, pushing the pair higher up the pitch into more natural wing-back roles makes more sense, taking advantage of their greater attacking qualities.

Both Maitland-Niles and Kolasinac will almost certainly feature, unless if Emery shifts Mustafi or Chambers into a right-back role, which would be quite the surprise. It just depends in what form they will play.