Leverkusen preview + White travels, team news & Arsenal predicted XI

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Hello everyone, Charles Walsh here.

Welcome back to Inside Arsenal.

It is Wednesday.

It is match day.

I hope you have a good one.

If you're watching or listening to this around the world, there's always thank you very

much for joining me on a Champions League night.

Of course, Arsenal versus Biolay because a little bit later on today in Germany, Arsenal

looking to take a big step forward.

And I hope journey through to the quarterfinals a good first leg result tonight will go a long

way to do that.

So we're going to talk about that today.

Show.

We'll do the prediction.

11 of course.

Loads of you guys have been sending stuff in in terms of what you want to see from

McKellar Teta tonight.

So I'll go through some of those towards the end.

As always, we'll look at what McKell has been saying ahead of the game yet is press conference

last night at the stadium after the squad flew out there.

So look at that latest team news.

As you can talk about Kai Havers, Kai Havers has been talking as well.

He was the player that put up obviously heading back to Labour Cousin for the game tonight.

So special emotional night for him.

He's been speaking about the sort of the injury issues that he suffered this is now difficult.

It has been behind the scene.

So loads for us to get stuck in the show.

We start with last night's action in the Champions League first.

Get that out of the way.

Drama goals was a big night in the Champions League.

Not a great night for the English teams to be honest Liverpool starting things off losing

a Galatasaray one nil by an absolutely spanking at a lancer six one over in Italy.

So that's job done for them already ahead of the second leg spurs doing a spurs

and getting absolutely battered over in Spain, battle at a comic grid.

And then Newcastle drawing one one at home to Barcelona.

They'll be absolutely kicking themselves Newcastle and how they managed to let that

getting slip away from scoring late on to Anthony Gordon,

I can see in a your mile penalty base where it was the last kick of the game.

And they're just so poor for Newcastle, they had the game absolutely one.

And they just let the ball go deep into the eye.

I was just I was just they'll be kicking themselves kicking themselves.

Barcer had offered nothing basically.

And yeah, that's a that was a real body blow for Newcastle.

Tottenham, oh my god, what a comedy show.

That was I felt bad for Kingsky.

I have to say I felt bad for Kingsky thrown in.

And I haven't played in ages, not in a game of that sort of magnitude,

thrown in by the manager.

Yes, there were two horrible errors.

But I mean, the first one was a slip and he wasn't the only player.

I mean, I watched their first sort of 20, 25 minutes.

I say watched.

I was struggling to watch because I was laughing so much.

But you know, I saw loads of players slip in Tottenham players.

I'm a van de Ven slip for the second goal.

A couple of athletic home players slipped as well.

So I don't really look at that first one as a mistake by Kingsky.

It was just a fact he slipped.

You can do very little if you lose your foot in what you're supposed to do.

Obviously, the second one was a big, big error.

But to be hauled off after 17 minutes,

in a game that the manager has decided that he's going to bring you in for,

I just think he's been absolutely thrown to the walls by Eagle Tudor.

I did feel sorry for him.

And there's no way way back for him now.

It's supposed to be there.

I mean, that's career done and dusted for Kingsky.

You don't come back from something like that.

He'll be off into something you'd imagine.

I just thought it was really bad management by a by Eagle Tudor.

And who has just been a terrible, terrible appointment for the spurs.

I imagine he'll be gone by the time you're watching this,

he might even be gone today.

Maybe he'll survive until the international break.

But Tottenham just looks such an absolute shambles at the moment.

I'll be stunned, stunned if he'll survive.

So that's what, how things stand,

the halfway stage of this week's fixtures in the Champions League.

Like I said, not a great, great night for English clubs.

Liverpool losing Tottenham losing a new castle throwing away a lead

to be held by Barcelona.

So in terms of Arsenal tonight,

Michael was speaking yesterday in his press conference.

Obviously, I was down at the training ground yesterday saw no Saliba.

Sorry, I saw Saliba, obviously,

Calfurian, Trossard, they were there, which was great.

There was no Trossard, sorry, what am I saying?

There was no Ode Guard.

And in training, there was no Ben White,

but wait a minute.

We'll see a picture in a minute that shows he has actually gone out there.

So this is what Michael said in the press conference last night.

It was asked about Ode Guard said he's out.

So asked about Calfurian Trossard and he said those two are a possibility

that they are available.

We will see tomorrow on Gabriel and Saliba.

Obviously missed out a weekend and said yes, they're fit and the deck

on rice and Superman, yes, they are involved as well.

So late, late decisions, apparently, on Calfurian Trossard,

but they both played a full part in training yesterday

from what I saw.

But what I didn't see was Ben White.

But if you're watching on YouTube, now you can see there very clearly.

There's a picture of Ben White getting on the plane yesterday

to fly over to Germany.

So Ben White is with the squad.

I find that interesting.

I mean, it's not even I can't even imagine

it's I'll try to try to pull a fast one

because the inclusion of Ben White in the squad

is not going to throw a rival manager off by a mile or anything like that.

It's not going to shock anyone.

So I don't think that's I'll try to do in anything sort of mind games

or anything like that.

It's just quite interesting that he wasn't involved in the session that I was at.

I mean, maybe he came out after I went.

But yeah, for him to not be there, not to do the warm up, not to do all that sort

of stuff, but then fly out to the squad to find it really, really interesting.

Great news, obviously.

And it shows that even if he's not fit for this game,

and he might just be going out there as a spare man and all that sort of stuff,

but the show's he's getting close, which is a real positive for us

or because we need Ben White fit.

We need him back.

So he can be a proper rotation option for for you in timber.

So that's good news at the moment.

It's only really might know that he's injured at the moment.

If white is very, very close to being back,

then obviously the squad is looking very, very strong,

which is key going into these big, big games.

So yeah, that's good news.

Absolutely.

Michael was asked about the Champions League,

where they're asked about now establish themselves in the knockout phase of this competition.

He says, I believe so, but this is football and you have to show it again tomorrow night.

I know that you have to be clear with the game.

What the game is going to demand, you need to perform on the day

the Champions League is about the day.

And within that day, there are moments and you have to be better than the opponent.

And if the players are now better prepared,

and they have been in the previous two seasons for this,

these knockout stages that the Champions League says they certainly have more experience

in the competition.

When I joined, there was a big part of the team that hadn't played in it.

That's obviously something that is necessary, like any competition,

and they understand it better now we have to perform.

And I think he's right.

I think Arsenal have now established themselves.

I think the win against Madrid last season probably went a long way to doing that.

They needed a big win and having come back into the competition.

Obviously did pretty well in the first season before they went out to buy Munich.

That was just a game too far for that young squad inexperienced squad

in the Champions League against a team like Bayern.

But then to sort of follow that up last season by going to the semi-finals,

by beating Madrid the way they did, winning in the Bernabéu.

That was a big step forward for this team in terms of how they viewed across Europe.

And if they are now kind of viewed as an established amongst the European hierarchy.

I think they very much are.

But as Michele said, it doesn't mean for anything.

You've got to go out there and you've got to perform.

And they've got to do that tonight against the Labour Cuisine side.

Who yes on paper Arsenal should be, the tie they should get through.

But you don't play well.

You get punished in this competition 100% and that will be the message.

I'm sure that Michele will have been drilling into his players in the build-up

to this game.

One player who knows all about Labour Cuisine, of course,

is kind of have us.

If you watch on YouTube, you can see some of the pitches.

There's him and Michele out on the pitch before the press conference.

The other pitcher was posted on Bayern's social media channels

amongst other saying, welcome back.

Kai, I'm sure we'll get a good reception tonight.

Whether he starts is another thing.

I'll get to my predicted 11 in a minute.

But he was speaking during the press conference yesterday.

I spoke before Michele, I'll tell you,

and obviously lots of questions were about the injury issues he suffered this season,

how difficult it has been for him, all that sort of stuff.

And this is what he's had to say.

He said, we all know that this season so far is not what I expected it to be.

But I always think that things happen for a reason.

And now I'm back and I feel good.

I'm happy to help the team again.

For me, it was just so tough because I've never felt that pain before in my life.

And it just came randomly.

But I tried to get through those things.

And obviously I got support from home as well, my family.

That helped me a lot during that time.

But obviously having two surgeries after one after another is not easy.

I'm professional enough to know that that's also part of football sometimes.

And I know there are so many players out there that went through stages of their career

like this also.

And I think I'm still young.

I still have a lot of years ahead of me, hopefully in front of me.

I'm confident, I'm feeling good, I'm feeling better.

Obviously things can always happen, but I'm feeling 100% ready to play these games.

I'm feeling fit and I can't wait to help the team in the next couple of months.

So that's what Kai said, which is good.

The fact he's saying he feels 100% ready, 100% fit, which is a real real bonus.

I'm basically being without Kai, that's all season.

Looking for soccer analysis, more knowing than a Carlo Ancelotti eyebrow raise.

With the World Cup around the corner, join me, Max Rushton and the Guardian's expert

soccer journalist on football weekly for all the latest soccer action and news throughout

the week.

We'll cover more ground than Drew Bellingham and a Champions League final with conversations

sharper than an Arsenal set piece.

For fine margins, fun debates and full blooded tackles, football weekly, listen wherever you

get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on YouTube.

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and provisioning new app permissions to assigning required manager training.

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Radius and Gartner.

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ripling.com slash a cast biz and sign up today.

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I mean, give or take a couple of games.

That is the case.

There have been without him all season one of the key players.

I mean, Michael's favorite attacker, no doubt about that in terms of striker.

He would have played so much football this season had he been fit.

He's a link up man and he's a smart, smart player and he makes players around him

absolutely better.

No doubt about that.

Well, they can't do a bit too soon for him in terms of starting.

It gets more predictive than 11 and a little bit, but having him fit, having him available,

having him with a bit of hunger as well, which you can see by those quotes in terms of

what he's had to say.

There will be a hunger route I have as to sort of make up for lost time areas that to sit

in the changing rooms, in the stands, watching the players get into the position they've

got themselves in this season now, that have that hunger to come in and help them get

over the line.

If we can get him back to his very best, get his match sharpness up over the next sort

of two, three weeks, which is what I was trying to do at the moment, then that's going

to be huge boost for the running, huge, absolutely massive rights.

So having said all that, ignore the numbers.

I normally take the numbers off the shirts here.

They go in automatically.

So if you're watching on YouTube, obviously those numbers don't correlate with the actual

numbers.

So the players have on their shirts, but this is what I think Michele's going to do.

This is a predicted 11 I've gone for today.

He's gone riring goal.

The back four kind of picks itself at the moment.

I know Call of Fury's fit, but I don't think he starts this game.

So I've got Timberts and Libby Gavry on him.

Capier.

I've seen Ryzen Zoumendi coming in.

Then I've gone Sakka.

I've gone Ezee as a ten, Martin Elly on the left and Yuckeye's up front.

So that's what I think our tetas are going to do.

Obviously the temptation to play habits will be massive for our tetas, because he wants

habits in his team more often than not.

If habits is fit and available, he will find a way to get him in his team.

I'm just not sure he will look at it now and think what he's definitely 100% fit to

start this game.

And this is a massive game for us.

When we spoke about the balancing app Michele's got over the next sort of three, four games

now building up to the Carabell Cup Final and making sure players get to Wembley in the

best possible shape.

And you don't want to take any risk with anyone, especially someone like Kai Habert.

So any start, he got some good minutes against Mansfield at the weekend on that pitch.

So I just feel like he will probably, probably sit this one out.

I wouldn't be stunned if the team comes out and you've got Habert's play in kind of

alongside Yuckeye's in that system formation that we saw against Leeds and against Carabell.

But this is what I've ultimately gone for.

In terms of what I would do, I wouldn't really go for anything different than this.

I think this is probably the team that I would actually want to see tonight as well.

If Habert's was 100% fit, I'd probably get Habert's in that team whether that be at 10

or in place of Yuckeye's up front.

I probably would do that, but I just'm not sure he's in that state yet.

And Yuckeye's has been well-rested, didn't even get off the bench against Mansfield.

So hopefully he's going to be fully fit and charged tonight.

And you'd hope in Champions League, the way these games have gone as well.

I was not going to get a bit of space tonight.

That's why I'd admire him on the left over Trossard.

And you feel like Yuckeye's could play into Yuckeye's hands a little bit today.

And it might work out well for him in terms of getting the ball in those areas

that we know he could be so, so lethal in.

So again, that's my predicted 11 for tonight's game.

Rire in goal, Timber, Saliba, Gabrielle in the back four,

Zubimendi in rice playing in that kind of dumb pivot role that we know.

They have started using this season rather than the 4-3-3.

Then as a as a 10, sacrum the right,

not only on the left and Victor Yuckeye's up front.

Should we go through what some of you guys have been having to say ahead of kickoff?

Thank you as always for getting in touch and having your say.

We'll start with Max.

This is my start in 11.

Rire, Timber, Noregaard, Gabrielle in capyae.

Zubimendi, Rice, Madaway, K, Habers,

as a Yuckeye's at half time.

I bring on sacrum for Habers.

Don't want to overdo it with Habers.

I've played 62 minutes against Manfield.

I want to be careful.

Cut a fury, Trossard and Saliba.

Until white is back, I prefer Norega.

God, at right, center back.

So much better, I can give Timber some relief.

At right back, I mean, there's just no way Noregaard's going to play.

Come on, Max.

I know what you mean, but there's no way Noregaard plays.

It's center back tonight in the Champions League.

Knockout stays first leg.

It will definitely, definitely be Saliba.

I see what you mean, but I think Saliba

has or have been careful with Saliba.

I think what's got on the last couple of games is

as they've been looking to this little batch of fixtures.

So they're giving them a bit of a rest ahead of these fixtures.

And he's back now.

The aim was always to get him back for this game

for him to be fit to start this game.

So I'd be very, very surprised if he doesn't slightly strange.

John says, Hey, Charles, my line out for Labour, Cousin,

Reyes, Gabrielle, Saliba, Timber.

You've missed out a left back there.

John, I think we could do with having a left back tonight.

Tonight to be honest, he got the Zubimendi Rice

and Ezema Fields, Sackie, operas, and Trosside.

Bring on Martin Elliott and Madaway K.

Have us on 66, five minutes, sub off Timber, Zubimendi,

Rice, if we get a good lead, two or three up.

I've got some mark now.

So I've just been watching your open training session video

and had a random thought.

All the times you've been to Colney

for pretty much press conferences or open training,

have you ever met the most famous member

of the Arsenal squad, win?

No, and it pains me to say it.

They have come up to the press conference room,

and it has been introduced to the journalists

and every time it happens, I'm not there.

I've never met win.

And that really bums me out.

I have to say, because I'm very much a dogman,

especially a Labrador man.

So I do want to meet win.

But at the moment, our paths have not crossed, unfortunately.

I keep missing him, which is very, very frustrating.

Ricky says, hey, Charles, my team for Labor, Cousin,

Ryaring Gold, Timber, Saliba, Gabrielle, and in Cappie,

Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Haberts, Ezer, and Yocarez.

On another note, rivalry aside, I felt so bad for Kinski.

22 years old and Tudor has done that to him,

absolutely disgraceing my opinion.

I agree.

Just think it was terrible, terrible management.

From on his part, I really, really do.

And I agree, despite the fact the place was spurs,

I did feel very, very sorry for Kinski last night.

It was very much no place for him to hide after that.

A lion lion says, if Saliba isn't fit,

I'd go Ryattimba, Muscaric, Gabrielle, and Cappie,

Zubimendi, and Declan, Ezer, Saka, Martin,

Elie, and Yocarez.

Martin, Elie has been lights out in the Champions League.

Charlie says, Martin, Elie, should 100 attempts

to be starting in Germany.

This competition just suits him.

But the next three games would love to see

Miguel give some minutes to Ezer and Normi on the left

ahead of the lead cup final.

They could be important options.

There, we've got one from Billy now says,

Ryatt, in Cappie, Gabrielle, Staliba, Timber, Rice,

Hiver, Zubimendi, Martin, Elie, Yocarez, and Saka,

finishes to come on, Ezer, Downman, Muscaric, Calafiri,

and Leo, I think we've got a few more now

before we wrap this one up.

Thank you, as always, for getting in touch, Kevin says,

my team, Ryatt, Timber, Staliba, Gabrielle, and Cappie,

Zubimendi, Rice, Hiver, Saka, Yocarez, Martin, Elie,

Ezer to come on with Mad at Waikai.

Tata says, wonderful injury news from Open Training,

with that in mind, my team would be Ryatt, Timber, Staliba,

Gabrielle, and Cappie, Rice, Zubimendi,

as a Saka, Yocarez, and Trossard.

Love Henry says, great news on the returning players.

Really need the squad to do, be well-balanced

and get some minutes restrictions on some of the guys.

We trust you, Miguel Overtune, out to manage this squad

through a crucial period before the cup final.

And finally, from NF7725, high Charles,

I know Martin Elie has been great in the Champions League,

but I'd start Ezer, because the game

will more than likely be open, and he could shine in those spaces

and link up well with Yocarez.

Thank you as always.

No worries.

At all, thank you for getting in touch,

and thank everyone for getting in touch

and sharing your views in terms of what you would want

to see Michele do tonight.

And that is about it.

For me, remember, it's the early kickoff today.

Everyone, don't get caught out by that.

545 kickoff UK time.

It is the early game, so make sure you're back from work.

If you can be to get in front of your screens

and watch the games come back to here afterwards.

Leave me your thoughts, your comments,

your reactions, I'll pull all of those together

and get some of them included in the reaction show tomorrow.

But that is it for me.

Enjoy your day, enjoy the game later,

and I'll speak to you very, very soon.

Take it easy, people.

Bye-bye.

Looking for soccer analysis, more knowing than a Carlo Ancelotti

eyebrow raise, with the World Cup around the corner,

join me, Max Rochden, and the Guardian's expert,

Soccer Journalist on football weekly

for all the latest soccer action and news throughout the week.

We'll cover more ground than Drew Bellingham

and a Champions League final with conversations sharper

than an Arsenal set piece for fine margins,

fun debates, and full-blooded tackles football weekly.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts

and watch the full episodes on YouTube.

Youth Mental Health is a complex challenge

that requires comprehensive solutions.

We must strengthen after-school programs.

We must make digital literacy tools available in our schools.

We must work with mental health professionals

to support children, and we must empower mentors,

educators and parents to keep kids happy.

Learn more about our commitment to finding lasting solutions

at EmpowerOurFutureCoalition.com slash Solutions.

Paid for by the Coalition to Empower Our Future.

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