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Arsenal team news vs Southampton: Predicted line up – Koscielny doubt, Ozil conundrum
ARSENAL manager Unai Emery has some big selection decisions to make ahead of the Gunners’ Premier League clash with Southampton at the Emirates on Sunday (2.05pm).
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Arsenal have a number of injury issues ahead of their return to Premier League action against Southampton this weekend.
Laurent Koscielny is the latest fitness doubt after the Gunners captain was replaced on the hour during Thursday’s Europa League victory over BATE Borisov.
Arsenal overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg with a comfortable 3-0 win at home, booking their spot in the Round of 16.
The triumph came at a price with Koscielny forced off after sustaining a knock on the opposite leg to the Achilles he severely damaged last year.
However, Emery has revealed the substitution was only precautionary and has not ruled the Frenchman of starting against Southampton.
“I think it’s a precaution,” Emery said. “I hope he can be okay Sunday. It is muscular, it’s only a precaution because he was starting to feel not good.”
Further positive news for Arsenal is that Sokratis Papastathopoulos made his return from an ankle injury as Koscielny’s replacement and will cover if the veteran centre-back is not passed fit.
Shkodran Mustafi is likely to start in central defence if Emery reverts to a 4-3-1-2 formation while Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac should return as full-backs.
Bernd Leno will replace Petr Cech in goal and Lucas Torreira should come into midfield alongside Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi.
Mesut Ozil was handed a rare start against BATE and completed the 90 minutes, although Emery said the German will be "sometimes in the starting XI and sometimes on the bench" following his midweek contribution.
The comments suggest Aaron Ramsey could be deployed as No 10 on Sunday while Alexandre Lacazette was suspended for the second leg against BATE and should return in attack alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck all remain long-term absentees and will not feature here.
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Arsenal predicted line-up vs Southampton – Premier League
(4-3-1-2): Leno; Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Koscielny, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Torreira, Guendouzi; Ramsey; Lacazette, Aubameyang