Getting disappointed with Thiago’s unavailability. Think he needs to get at least 10 starts in the 22 half of the 21-22 season otherwise I’d look to move him on in the summer as part of a big midfield refresh.
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I see Curtis having more minutes. In the few minutes Curtis got last night, he did try to get involved more than Ox did when he come on for more minutes. Not a slight on Ox because I think he definitely had good performances this season but overall I still think Curtis is more consistent in trying to impose himself in games compared to Ox. So I would think Henderon, Fabinho and Curtis would be my goto in Midfield in this match and resting appropriately for the match against Shrewsbury. For the forwards, if Firmino can be back, then he and Jota definitely be in for me and depending on the situation with Origi and Taki, they would definitely be one of the options for the 3rd spot. If Firmino, Origi and Taki are all not available, then Ox would definitely be in and Curtis pushed further up with Morton or Milner taking his place in midfield. There is also the option of playing Neco further up which he did in the previous match. Some Academy players definitely will get a chance, if not this match but the next vs Shrewbury.
I definitely want to see our strongest possible team for this as we need to prepare for the league matches later this month. Unfortunately that means doing without anyone who is ill, injured or off on a beano in Africa which is the bulk of our first team.
Question is, how many actual forwards do we have available? Jota has been in mediocre form recently but he is a bona fide goal poacher. I’d look at flanking him with Ox and Minamino. However, we could do with some more oomph in midfield and I’d be looking at Jonesey to provide that.
At the back I’d play Trent (and rest him for the FA Cup match) and play Robbo at left-back as he has already been rested for 3 games. We do have substitutions for this so the starting line-up and finishing line-up can rotate on the night.
I’m concerned about how this double confrontation will take its toll on the players for the games afterwards.
My take is that we don’t have the depth at this moment to go full speed in all competitions. So I expect Kloppo to play a good number of youngsters and fringe players. They didn’t badly the last times they were called upon, so trust them again and let them play. Arsenal will probably throw in a good number of them too anyway.
Two questions: does the away goal rule count in this competition, and who are the refs for this game?
Kelleher probably stays in goal with Ali out.
I could see the same 3/4 at the back, but with Robbo definitely coming in for Tsimi (who then gets the Shrewsbury game).
Midfield will be interesting to see because we don’t have many options and a lot of those options didn’t play well last night. With Arsenal’s (I know they will also make a few changes, but still) pressing the other day against City, I’d be careful with Morton.
Now… up top.
Generally, if all non-AFCON players are available, I think we could see Jota trying to fill the very high position/role of Salah on the right with Bobby central. Because he’s the only one capable of consistently attacking spaces and scoring goals. The dynamic of our team changes a lot if we have only one player offering runs into space. Taki did that well since pre-season, our coaches probably told him that it’s paramount for our game if you’re a forward to also offer runs.
But since we’re in problems for this one, it could well be Jota central and then have two combining players off the inside channels.
There’s an option of playing Ox as the false #9 and then release Jota off the right.
Depends also if Minamino is fit (if he is I think he definitely starts in the inside left channel) and if Jones can start or needs more minutes coming off the bench.
Kelleher, Robbo, Gomez, Ox, Curtis, Jota are clear starters for me.
- VvD or Konate
- Trent or Neco
- Hendo or Fabinho
Yeah forgot to add, possibly Gomez in for Konate. I think Virgil stays and then he doesn’t play against Shrewsbury.
With Jones we have to see if he can even start right now.
Or the following if Taki and Divock are out
Kelleher
Trent Gomez VvD Robbo
Hendo Fabinho Curtis
Ox Jota Kostas
Trent Gomez VvD Robbo
Hendo Fabinho Curtis
Ox Jota Kostas
Best chances for a good result away.
It’s still early days and things can change for better or worse (given our luck, it’s always tilting towards the worse) before the match-day. As things stand at the moment, Alisson, Matip, Firmino, Naby, Mane, Salah, Nat, and Thiago are out of the equation. We will have to wait to see how things pan out for Origi and Takumi. But we still have some healthy options:
Kelleher
Neco and Trent
Robertson and Tsimikas
VVD, Konate, and Gomez
Fabinho
Henderson and Ox
Milner and Curtis
Jota
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If I remember correctly Kostas played some matches as a winger at Willem II years back, which could be a good solution.
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0-3 to our kids!
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Arsenal team news by WhoScored:
- Takehiro Tomiyasu returned from injury and COVID for Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.
- Arsenal have now lost Mo Elneny, Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Thomas Partey to AFCON.
- Gabriel is suspended for the home side after being sent off in defeat to City at the weekend.
- Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were back on the bench at the weekend after recovering from COVID. Pablo Mari was still absent.
- Bernd Leno will expect to start here having done so in the previous rounds of the Carabao Cup.
- Nuno Tavares, Rob Holding, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Sambi Lokonga will also push for starts for the home side.
Still out injured: Chambers and Kolasinac.
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Good news for us. He was by far the best player against Man City on last Saturday.
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It’s worth remembering that we aren’t the only ones affected by this and the fixtures that we are missing players for are workable.
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My main concern with AFCON is that the forwards we were looking to rely on for this period of time are also absent. Origi, Minamino, and Firmino are all out due to injury/COVID. That’s 5 forwards out for us. If not for that bad luck, it would be a lot less tricky than it is now.
I’m genuinely interested in how we will cope now, since the boss is in isolation and can’t watch training to figure out what the game plan is. Coaching by Zoom, if you like. Strong test for Ljinders and Krawietz.
I’m very much a development through adversity kinda person, so I’m confident that we’ll only get better if we squeeze our way into the final.
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I think let’s just manage our squad best. It’s not massively busy if I’m honest and the biggest issue is upfront once those Covid players return.
Probably the best thing is that none of the AFCON lot had Covid, if the likelihood is that 80% of our players will miss some games.
This game is about staying in the tie but we do have enough to compete, they’ve lost a fair few as well to AFCON, Arsenal followed by Shrewsbury isn’t heavy compared to earlier in the season.
Noticed some games have already been rearranged for midweek when we play the second leg, hopefully this means Leeds is being left for later.
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Considering Klopp won’t be on the sidelines for this match either, how do you rate Pep Lijnder’s game management?
It’s a tough one to rate after 1 game, and not knowing how long he had to prepare, both himself mentally and also with the team.
I would wait til after the Shrewsbury game before making judgement personally as that will then see us having played 3 games, and will give us a better idea of his strengths, weaknesses and how he copes during the heat of battle
He did OK. I assume Klopp picked the starting line up and there were only 3 subs who were ever likely to be used, Ox, Keita and Jones. He used all three. I thought we went off the boil as an attacking force once Ox and Keita came on but that’s not necessarily down to him. They just didn’t play that well.
The most impressive aspect of the in game management was the way we tightened up in the second half. They were getting in behind us at will in the first half and we were seriously rocking by half time. We had more control after the break. I can only remember them having one real chance in the second half.
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Come on lads, let’s do this 
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