Mikel Arteta is expected to hand opportunities to several squad players as the Gunners get their Europa League campaign underway against FC Zurich
Arsenal kick-off their Europa League campaign on Thursday night when they take on FC Zurich in Switzerland.
It is the first of six group stage games for the Gunners, with FK Bodø/Glimt and PSV Eindhoven making up the rest of Group A.
Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his squad heavily during the early stages of the competition as the fixtures begin to come thick and fast.
Several players who have had to bide their time during the early weeks of the season are set to be given opportunities to impress, such as summer signings Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos and Matt Turner.
Below, GOAL takes a look at some of the players who could benefit most from Arsenal’s Europa League run.
Fabio Vieria
Arsenal’s £30 million ($34.5m) summer signing has almost felt like a forgotten man at times this season.
His surprise arrival from Porto generated huge excitement at the time, but injury stopped him taking any part in pre-season.
Vieira has now recovered, but Mikel Arteta has resisted the urge to throw him straight into the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.
He finally came on for his debut during the closing stages of the defeat at Manchester United and whilst he couldn’t do anything to change the result, Vieria did impress during his 15 minutes on the pitch.
And that bodes well for the Europa League group stage campaign, with Vieira expected to feature heavily from the start.
It remains unclear exactly where Arteta sees Vieira playing, with his versatility allowing him to play almost anywhere across the midfield or attack.
But wherever he plays, the talented 23-year-old will be looking to make a big impression as he attempts to force his way into Arteta’s thinking for the upcoming Premier League fixtures.
AdvertisementGettyEddie Nketiah
Having been convinced to sign a new contract in the summer, Nketiah has had to wait to really get an opportunity this season.
He has featured in every Premier League game so far, but has had to make do with cameos off the bench – with summer signing Gabriel Jesus getting the nod from the start.
Nketiah has impressed in those cameos, however, and has looked very sharp – even if he is yet to score a goal.
So the Europa League will provide him with the regular starts that he craves to really make an impact this season.
Nketiah showed at the end of last season what he can do when he gets regular game time and will be desperate to impress again now, having had to bide his time during the early weeks of the current campaign.
Emile Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe will not feature against FC Zurich on Thursday night, with the young playmaker having pulled up whilst doing a warm down alongside the rest of the Arsenal substitutes following Sunday’s defeat at Manchester United.
But even though he will miss out on the trip to Switzerland, Smith Rowe will certainly be eying the Europa League as an opportunity to make a real impact during the first half of the season.
He was guaranteed starter for most of last season, but a slight dip in form combined with the impressive performances of Gabriel Martinelli, has seen his game time become more and more limited.
So, fitness permitting, the Europa League group stage games will give Smith Rowe the chance to get some regular starts under his belt as he looks to force his way back into the Premier League starting XI.
Marquinhos
Arsenal’s summer signing from Brazil has yet to see a single minute of action for the first-team following his move from Sao Paulo.
That looks set to change during the Europa League, however, with the right winger expected to be handed the opportunity to impress.
Marquinhos’ performances during training convinced Mikel Arteta to keep him around the first-team this season, rather than sending him out on loan.
And with Nicolas Pepe having been allowed to depart, the young Brazilian will be hoping to feature heavily on the right side of the attack during the group stages, with Bukayo Saka expected to be rested.
There is still a possibility that Arsenal will decide to send Marquinhos out on loan during the January window, but some good showings in the Europa League will go a long way to ensuring Arteta opts to keep him around.