Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
Morning.
We’re in Champions League action this evening, as we take on last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta. The new convoluted format has been a topic of discussion, it’s a Super League by proxy, but the idea that we’re still playing on a Thursday – especially with a big game on Sunday – is a bit of a pain.
For tonight, I think Mikel Arteta has a couple of decisions to make about his starting line-up. I worry about asking too much of Jurrien Timber after he spent last season on the sidelines with an ACL injury. He’s already got four games under his belt so far, plus some international duty too, and with Man City on the horizon, I’d be inclined to be cautious with him for this one.
The options aren’t bad, to be fair. Riccardo Calafiori is back in the fold, and giving him his first start back in Italy makes some sense – assuming he’s fit enough to do that. There’s also Jakub Kiwior who would present an unexciting but perfectly serviceable deputy. You can always bring Timber on later if you needed but I’d just be a bit concerned about starting him tonight after 90 gruelling minutes in the derby, and then expecting him to be in top shape for Sunday.
In midfield, Declan Rice will come back in, meaning one of Jorginho or Thomas Partey will likely sit out. Again, you wonder if Sunday comes into the equation. Partey is Arteta’s go-to for that position as recent selection decisions have shown, but can those legs – which clearly aren’t what they used to be – do three starts in a week? Maybe this is one for Jorginho to start, the question then is who fills the Odegaard role if that’s the way we set up. It could be a similar system to the one we deployed at White Hart Lane.
Without taking anything for granted, because Atalanta are a good side who can cause anyone problems on their best day, I feel that games like this are ones which Arteta should be thinking about using the full depth of his squad. If he was inclined to ‘rest’…
Source link : https://arseblog.com/2024/09/selection-decisions-for-atalanta-odegaard-injury-update/
Author : arseblog
Publish date : 2024-09-19 06:59:08
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