Gyokeres, Madueke decisions revealed: Arsenal XI to face

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres makes his first start for the Gunners in Wednesday’s friendly with Villarreal at the Emirates.

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres will make his first start for the Gunners in Wednesday’s friendly with Villarreal at the Emirates.

The former Sporting Lisbon striker made his unofficial debut in last week’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, coming off the bench in the dying embers of that North London derby in Hong Kong.

However, with Kai Havertz not involved in today’s game for unexplained reasons, Gyokeres will lead the line from the off for the first time in Arsenal colours, flanked by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Gyokeres for Havertz – whose absence may very well just be precautionary – is one of three changes that Mikel Arteta has made to his starting lineup, and the other two alterations come in the engine room.

Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Christian Norgaard started in the middle against Tottenham, but only the latter holds his place, as Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino return to the first XI.

Odegaard and Rice are both among the substitutes, as are 15-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman and new signings Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi, the former of whom could make his non-competitive debut as a substitute.

Triple injury boost for Arteta as three Arsenal men back on bench

Further back, the rearguard of David Raya, Ben White, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly remains untouched, meaning that Cristhian Mosquera must wait a little while longer for his maiden start.

Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes are both on the bench alongside Mosquera after recovering from injury, while Kepa Arrizabalaga is also among the replacements following his own minor issue.

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Albert Sambi Lokonga have made the matchday squad despite links with a move away, but Karl Hein, Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira – all of whom are expected to leave in the summer window – are not involved.

Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori both miss out with the injuries they sustained during the Gunners’ pre-season tour of Asia, while ACL victim Gabriel Jesus is a long-term absentee.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s former record signing Nicolas Pepe has been named in the Villarreal starting lineup, as has former Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth.

Arsenal starting lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Nwaneri, Norgaard, Merino; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Subs: Kepa, Setford, Timber, Gabriel, Mosquera, Zinchenko, Lokonga, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Madueke, Rice, Dowman, Harriman-Annous

Villarreal starting lineup: Junior; Foyth, Marin, Mourino, Cardona; Gueye; Pepe, Parejo, Moleiro; Moreno, Eyong

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