Arsenal Faces Nottingham Forest Amid Injury Concerns

NOTTINGHAM, England — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made one change to his starting lineup for tonight’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest, with Jorginho replacing the suspended Thomas Partey. The match at The City Ground kicks off at 7:30 PM local time.

Jorginho’s inclusion marks his first Premier League start since January 4, when Arsenal faced Brighton. Arteta’s decision comes after Arsenal’s recent defeat to West Ham, which ended their impressive 15-match unbeaten run.

“Ethan [Nwaneri] was just cramping [against West Ham]. Obviously, his loads have been very different in recent weeks, but he is fine,” Arteta said Tuesday morning, confirming the young star’s fitness to play on the right wing.

Despite a strong start to the season, Arsenal finds itself in a precarious position with injuries plaguing the squad. In addition to Partey’s absence, Myles Lewis-Skelly is serving a one-match suspension due to a red card received against West Ham. Ben White, who recently returned from knee surgery, is again on the bench.

“We need to regain momentum and keep our title hopes alive,” Arteta added, highlighting the importance of the match for Arsenal’s ambitions.

Nottingham Forest enters the match sitting in third place, six points behind Arsenal. They have lost their last two league matches but are confident due to their strong home record, having not lost at The City Ground in six consecutive matches.

Forest’s manager remains focused on capitalizing on Arsenal’s recent setback. “We know Arsenal’s quality, but we are prepared for the challenge,” he remarked ahead of the match.

The starting lineups for both teams were confirmed shortly before kickoff. Arsenal’s lineup is as follows: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, and Merino. The substitutes include Neto, Kiwior, White, Zinchenko, Tierney, Partey, Sterling, Kabia, and Butler-Oyedeji. For Nottingham Forest, the lineup features Sels, Aina, Williams, Milenkovic, Murilo, Hudson-Odoi, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Elanga, and Wood, with Hennessey, Morata, Sangare, Awoniyi, Moreno, Silva, Yates, Sosa, and Danilo on the bench.

This match is crucial for both teams as Arsenal seeks to recover from their latest defeat, while Nottingham Forest looks to solidify its place in the Champions League race.