If I was to guess, I’d say that Mathieu Flamini will continue in the side. Firstly he has not had to fly here, there and everywhere for France. He has also had less games given that he missed the Villa game and part of the Tottenham game. I’d be interested to see what foundation he and Arteta give the team and which player has more of the box to box role. I suspect that Arsene will use the Spaniard from deeper, allowing us to play the ball from the back and control the possession whilst using Flamini’s industry and running further up the pitch. I also expect Per Mertesacker to continue at centre back, restoring his old partnership with Thomas Vermaelen. His work load is completely different to that of a midfielder or striker who continuously have to make sprints during games. To use an old cliche, Mertesacker plays a lot of his football in his head so I expect his body to be just find to take on the work load of the next few weeks. Maybe if all is well, Arsene can replace him for Isaac Hayden on 70. Not that I expect the game to be

League cup action this evening as Arsenal take a trip to the Midlands to face Steve Clarke’s West Brom. Arsene Wenger has somewhat of a dilemma on his hands  this evening, even more than usual when it comes to team selection in this competition. A competition where everyone can beat everyone. Shocks can happen. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an increase in English league 2 betting

I am sure at the start of the season when the club sit down to discuss the priorities, the league cup will always sit rock bottom of the list but you’d also imagine that winning a trophy must be fairly high on that same very list. Without our current injuries which has just increased with Walcott’s new stomach problem, tonight’s game wouldn’t be an issue. In fact we would have a very strong team. This may have been the team if we had everyone fit

Now that is a bloody good cup team don’t you think?

We currently have no senior wide players available which is typical Arsenal. When we pick up injuries we have a terrible habit of stock piling injuries all in the same area of the pitch. I don’t have to remind you of full back injury gate or Arshavin playing as striker etc. Now it is our wide forwards, but at the same time this competition has been used in the past to give a platform for young players to show what they can do. I am not convinced that the younger players would have started, had we had a clean bill of health. But many a career has started as the result of misfortune of another.

Serge Gnabry was thrown in the deep end last weekend when Theo Walcott pulled out at the last second. He had made previous cameo performances from the bench but starting your first senior game is a different kettle of fish. Steady but not spectacular would be a fair assessment of his performance that day I’d say. But those who have watched him at youth level would tell you with confidence that there is much more to come from him.

How about this for spectacular? Not the first so much but check out the second. Not great quality video but the goal is just wow.

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All that will come later though as he matures.

After the Stoke City match I wrote about my hope that Serge would replicate Walcott’s movements, given that Theo is out for roughly a month I wonder if those instructions will be passed onto the youngster. But then again, on the other side of the pitch another youngster may be better suited to perform that role. Ryo Miyaichi should get the nod after having to fight against constant injury niggles since joining the club. He has a long way to go before realising his potential but potential he certainly has.

I wonder if it will actually be Ryo to adopt the wide right role with Gnabry on the left given the German’s greater play making ability.

We know that Thomas Vermaelen will start, as will Mikel Arteta and Nacho Monreal. I guess the only real question tonight is which of the players who have played every week will feature in tonight’s starting eleven? When we look at the team sheet before the game starts, our eyes will be scouring the line up for that answer.

If I was to guess, I’d say that Mathieu Flamini will continue in the side. Firstly he has not had to fly here, there and everywhere for France. He has also had less games given that he missed the Villa game and part of the Tottenham game. I’d be interested to see what foundation he and Arteta give the team and which player has more of the box to box role. I suspect that Arsene will use the Spaniard from deeper, allowing us to play the ball from the back and control the possession whilst using Flamini’s industry and running further up the pitch. I also expect Per Mertesacker to continue at centre back, restoring his old partnership with Thomas Vermaelen. His work load is completely different to that of a midfielder or striker who continuously have to make sprints during games. To use an old cliche, Mertesacker plays a lot of his football in his head so I expect his body to be just find to take on the work load of the next few weeks. Maybe if all is well, Arsene can replace him for Isaac Hayden on 70. Not that I expect the game to be convincingly won by that point, but the option is there.

Both full backs and keeper are likely to change and those who come in all have plenty of experience for this type of game. My one real question about tonight is who will play as our number 10?

Will Thomas Eisfeld get the nod in that role? A player with a great eye for goal and technically very good but he is not taking hold of games and hasn’t done since he arrived at the club a few years ago. While the likes of Serge Gnabry have featured on the bench for the first team, Eisfeld has been absent. He did not travel to Asia in preseason and was not involved in the Emirates cup.

I’d be surprised if he started in such a crucial position but that said, players like Gedion Zelalem who was a big part of our preseason is currently adjusting to life at Arsenal very well by picking up an injury at a time where he could have played.

But we do not have a great deal of options for that role with many either injured or rested. I’d imagine it is between he and Kristoffer Olsson. Olsson is a player I really like the look of, not sure he will make it with us but I’ve really enjoyed watching him in the past. A very clever player with a good passing range. I am not sure how many times (if any) that Olsson has played as the number 10 though. If I wasn’t lazy I’d check and tell you but hey, why change a habit of a lifetime?

Ahh, thanks to the wonderful world of Twitter. I have been informed by a very knowledgeable youth team follower (@AFCAcademy) that Olsson has played deeper all last season so it looks like Tommy E will get his change to pull some strings. Not sure why people have the assumption that I make this up as I go along.

Mean Lean’s Predicted Line Up:

West Brom manager Steve Clarke also hinted at some form of rotation himself which is very good news for us. While we have a fair amount of quality on the pitch I believe that continuity and structure often overcomes talent alone. Not many partnerships have been struck on the pitch but for Arteta and our central defenders so hopefully West Brom will have similar issues to level up the playing field somewhat.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if our attacking trio have a difficult night. A striker lacking fitness and two young inexperienced wide players away from home is not ideal but hopefully they’ll shove those words straight back down my throat.

Let us avoid more injury and get through the round (I’d take a draw) the result is pretty much all that counts given our circumstances. Added good performances would be a bonus. Keeping our winning momentum is very important so let us get the job done.

Come on you reds (probably yellows)

PS –  I didn’t actually say anything about Bendtner. How can I forget to talk about him? I’ll leave it until post match instead.