Christos Tzolis will make his Premier League bow for Arsenal when they welcome Coventry City to the Emirates on Friday.
Arsenal will aim to kick-start the defence of their Premier League crown with a bang when they host Coventry City at the Emirates on Friday night in the opening game of the 2026/27 season. Mikel Arteta has a few pressing concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
William Saliba is a long-term absentee due to a back injury he sustained while playing for France at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and he will be unavailable for several months. Additionally, Jurrien Timber remains in the treatment room due to a groin issue that has troubled him since last season.
A few players who went deep in the World Cup with their national teams are unlikely to start, those being Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, and Martin Zubimendi. However, they are expected to feature off the bench for the reigning champions. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta provided fitness updates on Saka, Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, Saliba, and Timber.
The Arsenal manager said, “They [Saka and Rice] are ready to be involved, yes. Let’s see how he [Bruno Guimaraes] is [after being withdrawn at half-time in the FA Community Shield tie last weekend]. He’s evolving really well, but let’s see for tomorrow.”
“[Timber will be back] in the next few weeks, he’s not training with the group yet. We have a really specific issue in the backline, especially with the long-term injury of Wilo. We are trying to reinforce that area. Whenever we’re ready, we’ll announce something.”
David Raya is an automatic pick between the sticks despite returning late from the World Cup, with Arsenal lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Coventry City. The backline will feature Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Riccardo Calafiori.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes should retain his spot in the starting lineup despite going off at half-time in the Community Shield tie. The Brazilian international will accompany Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Odegaard in the middle of the park. Finally, Kai Havertz will lead the line for the Gunners, with Christos Tzolis and Noni Madueke being the two wide attackers. So, Viktor Gyokeres will be a backup option on the bench for the home side.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Ben White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly; Madueke, Havertz, Tzolis
