Arsenal predicted lineup vs AFC Wimbledon: Charlie Patino debut?

Arsenal may not have the glamour of European football to contend with in midweek anymore but that hasn’t meant there is nothing to satisfy the Wednesday palate, with AFC Wimbledon to come in the EFL Cup third round. Here is the predicted lineup.

Despite the team that starts matches arguably being less important than the one that finishes, a lot of emphasis is placed on which eleven players take to the pitch. This time the focus will be as strong, for different reasons.

With a Premier League side that almost picks itself, the visit of League One AFC Wimbledon presents Mikel Arteta with the chance to change near enough his entire team with the hopeful inclusions of some exciting young talent.

The academy is littered with stars in the making who could get the nod, just as the first team squad boasts a host of options vying for valuable minutes.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs AFC Wimbledon: Will Mikel Arteta hand Charlie Patino his senior debut and is Gabriel Martinelli set to come in?

Gabriel Martinelli, Folarin Balogun and Nuno Tavares are three of the senior youngsters supporters are hoping to see, players who are reinforced by more recognised options such as Alexandre Lacazette, Cedric and Eddie Nketiah, who want minutes the fans are less keen on seeing.

Then further down into the youth sides there are a plethora of individuals, none more notable than Charlie Patino, who will be desperate to strut their stuff against Mark Robinson’s side.

Will they be handed full debuts? Arteta is never one to heavily rotate as witnessed against West Brom in the second round, albeit this fixture posing a far more presentable opportunity to blood some young talent.

Tottenham is to come on Sunday meaning those who don’t play will arguably be more key than those who do play, even if some areas, like central midfield, leave the manager will little wiggle room.

This should be a fun game.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – A couple of weeks ago this would have felt like a game with Aaron Ramsdale’s name all over it. Such is the turn of events that Leno has now fallen down the pecking order into number two and he’ll be looking to put in a statement performance here. Not that it will change much.

Cedric (RB) – It might have been Calum Chambers for this one but he didn’t even make the bench against Burnley and with Arsenal expected to dominate the ball, having the more attack-minded Cedric on the pitch seems logical.

Rob Holding (CB) – Fit enough to make the bench last time out after recovering from a bruised knee, these are the games for Holding to get minutes.

Pablo Mari (CB) – Unquestionably second choice to Gabriel in the left centre-back role, Mari is in the same boat as Holding in that he is some way off the Premier League squad and, based on the Manchester City game, may even be behind Sead Kolasinac in the pecking order. Should play here, though.

Nuno Tavares (LB) – One of the players supporters will be most keen to see on Wednesday. While the exciting Portuguese is rough around the edges, those edges can hurt you and you can’t take your eyes off them.

Exciting, direct, powerful and aggressive, when Tavares hones in on the defensive side of his game Arsenal could have real player on their hands.

Midfielders

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (CM) – There is scope for some youngsters to get their chance in midfield against the Dons, namely Charlie Patino, but from the start that’s unlikely.

Arteta is thin for options in this area of the pitch so his hands are mostly tied, and with Granit Xhaka back for the weekend it looks like being a Swiss/Ghanaian pivot for Sunday meaning Maitland-Niles should come in here.

Albert Sambi Lokonga (CM) – This is a game were Sambi can really dominate proceedings. This youthful midfield pairing showed their value coming on as substitutes against the Clarets and there will be another opportunity for them to build their chemistry up in this one.

Martin Odegaard (AM) – With Smith Rowe not finishing the Burnley game due to cramping he would arguably be the fittest(?) for this game having had extra time to rest. However, Odegaard is the one with the energy and engine therefore it may be that he gets 50-60 minutes in order to wrap the win up and then some debuts can be handed out from there.

Forwards

Eddie Nketiah (RW) – With so many strikers in need of first team minutes there is a balancing act for Arteta to find and sadly, you feel, he’s going to offer time on the pitch to those who shouldn’t be getting them.

Folarin Balogun should be playing but with Nketiah as the more senior option it could be him to plays out wide to accommodate the variety of options.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) – He will have known once no move was finalised for him that his involvement this season would be bit-part at best, predominantly being of use during the winter period when Aubameyang is off to AFCON and games come thick and fast.

It should be Flo getting the nod but it probably won’t be.

Gabriel Martinelli (LW) – Someone who has to play is Martinelli. Already set for another frustrating season personally, he will have his place as an impact substitute in the Premier League and if he is to be sharp in those moments then he has to be playing.

Lacazette will likely drop deep into a No. 10 slot in which case Martinelli can be direct attacking the box. Hopefully he gets the full 90 minutes out there.