Champions League: Arsenal Probable XI & Team News

Second guessing Arsene Wenger is never smart, a task which becomes even more difficult when there are doubts over a number of key men who would start regardless, had they been fully fit.

Cesc Fabregas looks set to win his fitness race, the former Barcelona youngster has been troubled by a persistent hamstring problem but is very much expected to lead the team out at the Camp Nou.

Robin Van Persie was the surprise inclusion in the squad which travelled to Spain, as everyone naturally assumed that the Dutchman wouldn’t be involved after Wenger ruled RVP out for an estimated three weeks barely a week ago, immediately after Arsenal’s 2-1 Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham.

One player who definitely hasn’t recovered in time is combative midfielder Alex Song, the Cameroonian joining centre-back Thomas Vermaelen and winger Theo Walcott on the sidelines.

Arsenal Probable XI

Formation: 4-3-3

My hunch, if you like, is that Arsene Wenger, despite his side holding a slim aggregate advantage, will look to protect that lead by using attack as the best means of defence. And, in my humble opinion, it looks the only way to counter a team who keep possession better than anyone else and invariably play most teams off the park.

Pep Guardiola’s team will look to attack at every opportunity, more notably through the wide avenues of Davi Alves and Maxwell. So it’s imperative that Arsenal do their own share of attacking, if possible from counter-attacks, as they simply have to plant seeds of doubt into the minds of the Barca players. If the Gunners continue to catch the home side out on the break, then those who so often bomb forward unnoticed, the full-backs, may think twice before making their moves if Arsenal are exploiting the space left in behind time and time again.

Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczesny

At just 20-years-of-age, this is undoubtedly the biggest game of his promising career so far, but he’s been involved in several high profile clashes already this season and hasn’t looked out of place. In fact, he’s already established a reputation for being a fine shot-stopper, though he definitely needs to command his penalty area better, and that maybe easier said than done inside a stadium which holds almost twice as many than the Emirates. Keep out a deadly Catalan trio of Pedro, Villa and Messi and the Polish youngster would become an overnight celebrity.

ARSENAL TO KEEP A CLEAN SHEET: 11.00 (10/1) PaddyPower

Right-back: Bacary Sagna

The Frenchman roams forward undetected better than most, and should be able to exploit the pockets of space in behind Maxwell, but the quality of his deliveries need to be better, and on a more consistent basis, too. He does, though, find himself in more scoring situations than Clichy on the opposite flank, although goals are still a rariety.

BACARY SAGNA TO SCORE: 32.00 (31/1) Unibet

Left-back: Gael Clichy

Yet another Frenchman at full-back for Arsenal, only this one is a little more reserved in how he gets forward. He has the pace to trouble Dani Alves, while he’s just as effective at getting forward, but he does seem a little inhibited when he does reach the opposition’s 18-yard box. I do think he can deliver a better cross when he has time, but he needs to take a chance every now and again and cut inside, possibly even have an attempt on goal every now and then, just to give the Barca keeper something to think about. The 25-year old only has 3 goals to his credit in three seasons, which says everything you need to know when compared to who he will be in direct competition with on Tuesday night, which is Brazilian Dani Alves, who has scored 10 goals in the same period of time.

GAEL CLICHY TO SCORE: 29.00 (28/1) Bet365

Centre-back: Laurent Koscielny

I suppose we shouldn’t be at all surprised that it’s another Frenchman in the back-four for Arsenal, with Koscielny proving a reliable enough performer since joining from French Ligue 1 outfit Lorient in the summer. However, at just over 6ft tall, his aerial prowess makes him a prominent threat from set-pieces and could capitalise on the lack of aerial presence at the back for Barcelona now that Carles Puyol has been ruled out through injury.

LAURENT KOSCIELNY TO SCORE: 21.00 (20/1) Bet365

Centre-back: Johan Djourou

The Swiss centre-half should get the nod over the more experienced Sebastien Squillaci, who should have inside knowledge on the Catalan-outfit considering he spent several seasons in Spain with Sevilla, so at the top level as well. However, Squillaci isn’t as agile or quick as Djourou, the younger model, and that is key considering they will be up against the dynamic trio of Pedro, Villa and Messi. Djourou does also get forward for set-plays, so could be value to score anytime.

JOHAN DJOUROU TO SCORE ANYTIME: 23.00 (22/1) Bet365

Centre-midfield: Abou Diaby

With Alex Song ruled out through injury, Abou Diaby will form a French spine in the holding role, with his sole objective on the night to break down the Barca attacks and provide sturdy, reliable cover for an Arsenal defence which will be put under so much scrutiny by the relentless Barca attackers. If push does come to shove and Arsenal require a goal, Diaby can get forward to good affect, so there is a plan B involved with Diaby which perhaps Song wouldn’t have offered, although the latter is by far and away the better defensive-midfielder and would have definitely started had he been fit.

ABOU DIABY TO BE SHOWN A CARD: 3.25 (9/4) SkyBet

Central-midfielder: Jack Wilshere

Having recently become an England international, Jack Wilshere is beginning to show the levels of maturity which will make him a global superstar in a few years time. This lad is only 19-years-of-age but has already gone toe-to-toe with Lionel Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and the rest of the Barca gang without looking out of place in the slightest. In fact, when the two sides met two weeks ago, Wilshere was arguably the best player on the pitch; calm and composed in possession, the fact he demanded possession whenever possible was an indication of just how confident he is in his own ability, while he also got forward to good effect as well. He could do with adding another dimension to his game by scoring more goals, but he’s certainly a future star in the making.

JACK WILSHERE TO HIT THE WOODWORK (Post or Crossbar without scoring): 19.00 (18/1) 888SPORT

Central-midfield: Cesc Fabregas

The general consensus is that Fabregas will start inside the Camp Nou, where his career began as a youngster but also where he’s actually never played a competitive match before, so it will be a daunting yet exciting prospect for him personally. Nonetheless, with him in the team, Arsenal’s chances of triumphing increase ten-fold. He’ll be the focal point on the night for Arsenal, the player everyone else in the team will look for when in possession, as there are few who read the game better than Fab, who knows exactly who and where all his team-mates are before he’s even collected possession. Plus, he’s one of a select few who can thread those eye-of-a-needle passes, while he’s also capable of bombing forward, linking up with his attacking colleagues before slamming home a precise finish. Definitely a key player!

CESC FABREGAS FIRST GOALSCORER: 17.00 (16/1) PaddyPower

Left-midfield: Andrey Arshavin

The Russian will be one of the first to admit that he isn’t having his best season, but his pace and agility will make him a constant thorn to the Barcelona defence, especially if Dani Alves does bomb forward as that would allow Arshavin to run into so much space on the left-flank, where he is prone to cutting inside and lashing in a fizzing effort on goal, as he did in the opening leg. I do think he’ll play a little deeper than usual, hence why I’ve summed his role up as ‘left-midfield’ and not a winger, as the Barca full-backs will need to be tracked meaning Arsenal’s full-backs desperately need cover.

ANDREY ARSHAVIN FIRST GOALSCORER: 17.00 (16/1) SportingBet

Right-midfield: Samir Nasri

So versatile, Nasri can play almost anywhere, certainly in an attacking capacity. A lot like Fabregas, perhaps even a little more deft and subtle, Nasri has that ability to link up the play, maintain the flow of possession in a calm and composed manner, but he’s also deadly in and around the opposition’s penalty area. He already has 14 goals this season, a season which has been stop-start because of injuries, and if he’s presented with even a half-chance on the night, I’d fancy him to take it.

SAMIR NASRI TO SCORE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX: 12.00 (11/1) Unibet

Forward: Robin Van Persie

Definitely a doubt as to whether he will even play or not because of a knee injury he’s carrying, and if he doesn’t recover in time then Nicklas Bendtner should get the nod, but if Van Persie does pass a late fitness check then the Gunners finally have the striker up top they didn’t have on their last visit to the Camp Nou, when they created several decent openings but continued to fluff their lines. In Van Persie, Wenger has a proven goalscorer, a player with one of the deadliest left-pegs in the game, not to mention a set-piece specialist. He beat Barca keeper Victor Valdes all-ends-up in the first-leg from an acute angle, don’t dare back against him making the same Spaniard look foolish in Barcelona should he make the cut.

ROBIN VAN PERSIE FIRST GOALSCORER: 12.00 (11/1) StanJames