Arsenal Makes Five Changes for Premier League Clash Against Wolves

WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made five changes to his starting lineup for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium. The match marks William Saliba‘s return to the starting XI after missing the last two games due to a minor injury.

Saliba is joined by Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Thomas Partey, and Leandro Trossard in the revamped lineup. Lewis-Skelly returns at left back, while Nwaneri, a Hale End academy product, earns his first start since scoring against Brighton earlier this month. Partey and Trossard, who came off the bench in Arsenal’s midweek victory over Dinamo Zagreb, also feature in the starting XI.

Notably absent are captain Martin Odegaard and midfielder Mikel Merino. Odegaard fell ill on matchday, while Merino sustained a knock in training. Gabriel, who will captain the side for the second time in the Premier League, is set to make his 199th appearance for Arsenal.

“Martin was ill this morning, and we had to send him back—he was nowhere near fit to play,” Arteta said before kickoff. “Mikel as well, because he got a knock and couldn’t make it yesterday for training.”

Wolves, meanwhile, fielded an unchanged lineup from their 3-1 defeat to Chelsea earlier in the week. The hosts are looking to bounce back against an Arsenal side aiming to maintain momentum in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal’s starting lineup includes Aaron Raya, Jurriën Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Declan Rice, Nwaneri, Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz. Wolves counter with José Sá, Matt Doherty, Nicolas Agbadou, Hugo Bueno, Rayan Aït-Nouri, André, Nelson Semedo, João Gomes, Pablo Sarabia, Jørgen Strand Larsen, and Matheus Cunha.

The match kicks off at 10 a.m. ET, with Arsenal seeking to solidify their position in the league standings and Wolves aiming to climb out of the bottom half of the table.