After our best display of the season last weekend, and a good performance by a different 11 on Tuesday against Hull City, Regis Le Bris has a few more players staking legitimate claims for first team places. Despite new signings Malick Fofana, Jules Ahoka and Dayann Methalie getting their first starts in midweek, and Omar Alderete getting some much needed fitness, I don’t envisage the manager making too many changes to the team that started at Brentford.
Goalkeeper: Robin Roefs
Roefs didn’t have much to do last weekend,
and will be hoping to have just as quiet an evening tonight against the Gunners.
Defence: Nordi Mukiele, Kevin Danso, Dan Ballard, Reinildo
Le Bris sprung a bit of a surprise last weekend, deploying Thomas Munier in the ‘Trai Hume’ role, with Dan Ballard keeping his place in defence after some shaky displays. Ballard did well last time out though, and Kevin Danso looks like an excellent addition. I think we’ll see an unchanged defence, with Munier dropping in to make it a 5 when out of possession. Mukiele and Reinildo will play in the full back positions; there’s plenty of competition in those roles now and everyone will have to maintain a high level of performance to keep their places in the team.
Midfield: Thomas Meunier, Enzo Le Fee, Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, Nilson Angulo
Same again in the midfield, with Xhaka, Le Fee and Sadiki in their regular positions, Meunier playing that hybrid role to the right – creating space for Le Fee to attack – and Angulo keeping his place on the left. In the second half against Fulham and the first half last weekend Angulo has been excellent, and hopefully he’ll keep on improving as he’s got a load of ability. We’ve obviously got Malick Fofana to come on in the second half, and he’ll be looking to make an impact off the bench against a club he was heavily linked with before joining The Lads.
Striker: Brian Brobbey
Brobbey’s not scored yet this season and will be hoping for a goalscoring repeat of last season’s game against Arsenal. He’s been getting chances though – I thought he should have scored late on at Brentford – and you’d not bet against him finding the back of the net today. His battle with Gabriel will be one to watch.
