Southampton preview: rotation inevitable

Evening folks.

Tonight we play Southampton in Capital One Cup and I think the squad should be quite different to the one that took on Villa.

The back five

I fully expect Ospina to make his first appearance this season. The Colombian international shrugged off his health problems a while ago and has already made the bench at least thrice. However, given Szczesny's form, there was no reason to introduce Ospina to the proceedings. This should change tonight, as a) even goalkeepers need rest b) rotation is a commonplace in the cups. Last year we had Fabianski to feature on the cups, now it's Ospina. If the Colombian impresses, Wenger will be given a nice selection headache on Saturday.

Our defensive options are scarce and that's not a good thing. Things got off to a bad start yesterday, as Arsene confirmed Debuchy has undergone surgery on his ankle  and will spend three months out of the game. The situation quickly deteriorated, as Monreal's back injury will ensure the Spaniard will be unavailable for selection up until mid-October.

That means we have four fit senior defenders to get us through four games. And Chambers is on three bookings already. Should he start tonight and get another yellow, he'll risk missing our away trip to Stamford Bridge.

That's why I expect the Englishman to be a bench sub at best. Arsene said how he'll give a chance to his younger players to prove themselves, so Bellerin and Hayden are both favourites to start at right-back and centre-back respectively.

I'd play Koscielny alongside Hayden (both to guide the youngster and to keep Chambers wrapped in cotton wool), but the left-back position is a worry. With Monreal out and Gibbs in need of a breather, it's between Flamini and Coquelin. A hard pick, as both aren't that convincing. I'd personally go with the Frenchman, as he has more experience playing on the left and also seems more mobile, but you never know what Arsene will come up with.

While Southampton is not that formidable an opponent, I still don't like the paucity of our options at the back. There's no point in complaining about the lack of cover, now that we can't change anything, but there's growing desperation among Arsenal fans. There are calls already for free agents. Some started wondering whether we can terminate Jenks' loan. All in all, the situation is unhealthy. I hope we'll make it alright till Monreal is back. Then we should strongly consider boosting our options during the January transfer window.

The midfield

I'm certain Arteta, Ramsey and Ozil will all be rested. They've played a lot of games and will play more still, so a little R&R is in order.

Also, I'm pretty certain Diaby will start his first competitive game this season, especially after the Frenchman was backed by Arsene.

I don't have a problem with this decision. Diaby is a good player, who must be the unluckiest footballer alive to miss so many games through so many injures. Though we've stopped relying on Abou's services long ago, I sincerely hope he can contribute to our cause between now and May. If he does, he may just earn himself a new contract.

It is also very unfortunate for us Diaby played so little during his spell with Arsenal. He's that quick and tough DM everyone wants and he could have become a vital player for us, has he not been injured all the time. I still hope the Frenchman will recover and stay fit and have that bright future Arsene is talking about.

Further up field we have a plethora of options. Rosicky is an almost guaranteed starter today, but who be his partner in central midfield? With Diaby in the squad I doubt it will be Coquelin or Flamini, while Wilshere's style is too similar to that of the Czech. It's an interesting problem for Arsene to sort out. I'd tip Oxlade to start, as he's not in the first team picture right now and we all know his best games came when the Englishman was deployed centrally. Here's your guess is as good as mine.

The attack

I'd say the flanks are pretty obvious, with Poldi and Campbell strong favourites to start, so it's the lone striker position that interests me the most.

There were whispers Alexis can play, but I don't think it's a good idea. Yes, he was rested against Villa, but he'll definitely be crucial in our next three games, so playing him now won't do anyone any good.

I think that position is up for grabs between Akpom and Sanogo and I'm not sure I'd go with the latter. I know Arsene puts a lot of trust into his compatriot, I know it's important for Sanogo (who hasn't even made the bench for the last three games) to finally score an official goal, but we have to think about the good of the team first. And Akpom deserves his chance more than Sanogo. Simply because he's more convincing. So I'd play him, but it remains to be seen, whether Arsene agrees with this.

The verdict

We've been taking long and hard about how good our bench is and it's for a reason. You can't boast a strong bench and then fume when the manager rotates. It's normal, we have a big squad and a lot of capable players, who, I'm sure, are more than up for the task. Not only do I expect Arsenal to win tonight, I think I have every right to expect a beautiful performance.

So c'mon you Gunners.

And I'll be back with you on Wednesday/Thursday with the usual review.

Until then

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