Arsenal XI vs. Bournemouth—Double Return Teased: Injury News, Predicted Lineup

Arsenal are faced with a tricky task in between two legs of their Champions League quarterfinal.

Kai Havertz gave Arsenal a late win against Sporting CP on Tuesday night. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arsenal host Bournemouth in an awkward Premier League fixture on Saturday.

The Gunners snatched a narrow 1–0 win away to Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal ahead of a decisive second leg in north London next Wednesday. In between, Mikel Arteta has to navigate the difficult task of outwitting his childhood friend to keep Manchester City at bay in a delicate Premier League title tilt.

Andoni Iraola spent countless hours playing alongside Arteta for the same Basque youth team and the pair remain on good terms. Yet, that warmth won’t stop the Cherries boss from trying to throw cold water on Arsenal’s ambitions at the Emirates this weekend.

City have it within their capability of closing the gap at the Premier League summit to just three points, giving the current leaders little room for error over the run-in. Arteta needs to also have the club’s lofty European ambitions in mind with Saturday’s team selection, which could involve a few more rotations than he would otherwise deploy against a Bournemouth team unbeaten since their last meeting with Arsenal in January.

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Crucial Duo on the Road to Recovery

Jurriën Timber (left) and Bukayo Saka could both be fit for the weekend. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Trusting Arteta’s medical updates is a fool’s errand. This is a manager who whisks crutches out of the hands of his players while they exit the team coach to trick the opposition into thinking that they could feature for a few more minutes.

With that in mind, Arteta predicted that Bukayo Saka and Jurriën Timber could be in line to appear in some capacity against Bournemouth. “Hopefully they’re going to be ready for the weekend, if everything goes well,” the Basque boss told assembled media.

“That’s a massive boost because in recent days we’ve lost so many important players and that’s something that we need to change immediately.”

Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze remain sidelined while Piero Hincapié’s involvement is uncertain.

• ⚠️ Key absentees, doubts: Mikel Merino, Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapié, Bukayo Saka.
• 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-3-3

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Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth (4-3-3)

Mikel Arteta could shake it up against Bournemouth. | FotMob

GK: David Raya—When Raya missed three months through injury at Brentford, he marked his return to training by rocking up in an inflatable dinosaur costume. Arsenal’s very own extinct predator will be well placed to celebrate Raya’s return to the Emirates pitch this weekend.

RB: Ben White—Arsenal’s beleaguered right back needs a spell out of the headlines. After getting booed on international duty, scoring, conceding a penalty and then putting in a pair of horrendous performances for his club side, White could do with a quiet afternoon.

CB: William Saliba—Arsenal’s team bonding has included squad trips to escape rooms, where small groups solve puzzles and riddles in a set amount of time. “They were competitive,” Saliba revealed. “I don’t know why but I'm not the best at these games.”

CB: Cristhian Mosquera—The well-rounded 21-year-old has ambitions beyond the pitch. “I studied sports science before,” he told The Guardian earlier this season, “but I’ve started an online university degree in interior design. It’s something I’ve always found attractive and I thought: ‘Why not?’”

LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly—After a breakthrough 2024–25 campaign, Lewis-Skelly has been afforded just one Premier League start all season. Perhaps he’ll get his second on Saturday.

CM: Kai Havertz—“Back in the day I wasn’t the player who won duels and everything,” the waifish forward recently mused, “but right now I love it.” He’ll need to embrace that edge against Bournemouth’s battlers.

CM: Christian Nørgaard—The significance of signing for Arsenal got the better of Nørgaard. When he saw his young son decked out in the first-ever replica Arsenal kit with his surname on the back, the summer recruit wrapped him up in a long hug and gently sobbed into the nape of his neck.

CM: Declan Rice—“The good thing with Declan,” Arteta likes to say, “is he’s so consistent, so reliable. He’s always there.” Bournemouth may hope otherwise.

RW: Max Dowman—It’s been a big few days for the teenager; start in the FA Cup, become the youngest player to ever feature in a Champions League knockout game and sit his GCSE mock exam. The week may even end with a maiden Premier League start.

ST: Gabriel Jesus—In 2018, Jesus became the first Brazilian No. 9 since Zinho in 1994 to go goalless at a World Cup. He drew another blank in 2022 and may very well miss out on the tournament entirely this summer.

LW: Gabriel Martinelli—By the time Saturday rolls around, Arsenal’s winger will have scored one Premier League across the previous 11 months.

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