Arsenal predicted lineup vs Villarreal: Tierney and Aubameyang?

Arsenal take on old friends and foes on Thursday as they travel to Villarreal for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. Here is the predicted lineup.

Don’t be confused by old friends. This is not in reference to Unai Emery, who despite being a dreadful fit for Arsenal as manager never gave anything but his all for the club, but is indeed referring to Francis Coquelin! The Coq!

The foe element does, of course, relate to Emery who Arsenal fans had to suffer through for the best part of 19 months. The current plight has hardly been an insignificant cough and more closely resembles the slow removal of about 3,000 plasters, but the ongoing torment can be cast aside briefly should Arsenal and Mikel Arteta secure a positive result.

On Tuesday evening their chances of doing so were limited, only to be boosted significantly on Wednesday morning following news of returns for key quartet Kieran Tierney, David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who are all in contention for Thursday.

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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Villarreal: Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli to start in Europa League?

Having been mulling over his selection choices, Arteta was visibly ecstatic to reveal the news in his press conference, and knows the squad at his disposal is strengthened ten-fold to leave Estadio de la Cerámica with a smile as big as the one he tried to suppress.

If only it were as simple as that.

Luiz has not kicked a ball since March 21, Tierney suffered ligament damage and hasn’t played since April 3, Lacazette can’t be rushed back too soon after a hamstring tear and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won’t have featured in close to three weeks after contracting malaria.

They are all ‘in contention’, thus physically able, but none of the quartet will be match fit, which must play in Arteta’s mind not least as this is a two-legged affair.

Should just one, maybe two, of those players be available to play then it will have a big impact, especially in defence, where Tierney could return to left-back and allow Granit Xhaka to shift into midfield.

So many decisions to make but which will Arteta plump for? Here is our predicted lineup.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – Arteta will probably have been the closest he’s come to dropping Leno to date for this one. That clanger against Everton is certainly not his first this season – potentially not his last – yet there is just no way he’ll throw Mat Ryan in here for his first European fixture with Arsenal.

Calum Chambers (RB) – Chambers has now wrestled his way into the first choice right-back at the club, even though Hector Bellerin had started all Europa League knockout fixtures this season up including the first leg against Slavia Prague. He only did so on that occasion because Chambers was injured, and the Englishman subsequently returned to the fold for the reverse leg. He is the starter now and Arteta will keep him in.

Rob Holding (CB) – Despite Luiz being in contention and also boasting all the distribution traits his fellow central defenders don’t possess as skillfully, Arteta might opt against breaking up the partnership that helped concede only two shots on target in the last two outings.

Pablo Mari (CB) – It’s generally a big give away that the player who does the media duties ahead of European fixtures will be starting on the day. Even without Mari joining Arteta in the press conference, his leadership ability and composure in possession would’ve made him a shoo-in ahead of Gabriel, who looks like he needs some time off.

Granit Xhaka (LB) – If he’s fit, Tierney starts.

"“I don’t know if he’s going to make it tomorrow but he wants to be as close as possible to that pitch to give himself the best possible chance,” is what Arteta said."

Knowing how vital the Scot will be, even if he only plays in the second leg, caution may be taken in regards to selection on Thursday which means another start at left-back (more like left centre-back) for Xhaka. The pacey threat of Samuel Chukwueze is a concern, however.