Mansfield preview + Arteta's Saliba update & Arsenal predicted XI

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Hello, everyone.

Welcome back to Inside Arsenal.

It is Saturday.

I hope today is going well.

We're watching or listening to this around the world as always.

Thank you very much for joining me on Match Day.

In fact, it's Match Day very, very soon.

The lunchtime kickoff today, of course.

Arsenal versus Mansfield versus Arsenal.

Sorry.

In the fifth round of the FA Cup Arsenal looking to book their spots in the court finals.

Do we need the court finals?

I'm not sure if it is the court finals or if this is six round or not.

Anyway, they're trying to book their spot in the next round.

We're going to talk about that in today's show and my predicted lever very, very quickly.

Look at what some of you guys have been saying ahead of the game.

Look at what Michele's been saying ahead of the game.

Later on William Celeber and his injury.

That has come from Michele.

So we'll look at those quotes.

A little bit of comments on Max Downman things as well.

I say this is Saturday.

I'm recording this on Friday night.

By the way, everyone, because I'm not the game today.

I am.

It's my son's birthday weekend.

And we are going away as a family to autumn towers.

And so I'm not the game.

And we're leaving early on Saturday morning to get up there.

We're standing at the hotel tonight.

So there's a very strong chance that I won't be doing a video after the game or tomorrow on Sunday.

And it might not be till Monday now to you next here from me.

So if you don't hear from me tomorrow and you wonder what's going on.

Where's Charles?

That that's where I am.

But I wanted to get something out this morning.

I've had to record it last night.

So if I've missed something is some huge news has broken overnight.

Then I'm not speaking about today.

Then that is why it's because I'm pre recording this on Friday night.

But I just wanted to get something out there.

And I will be back on Monday, maybe, maybe with my wife's permission.

I'll be able to get to do something on that I can maybe record on Saturday evening to put on Sunday.

But I don't don't expect that from me.

Like I said, it will probably be Monday anyway, enough about that enough about that.

Let's talk about the game today.

If you watch on YouTube, you can see some of the pictures from training yesterday all in the rain at London Colney.

But yeah, it was there was quite a few players missing quite a few players who sat out.

That game.

We don't know if they were injured.

I don't think they would have been.

I think it was more to do with sort of load management and things like that.

Like there was no saliva.

Well, we know saliva.

Sorry.

We'll get to that in a minute.

Sorry.

There was no timber.

There was no.

I don't think Gabrielle was involved in the session.

We know, obviously, there was no mind.

No regard.

There was no Ben White either.

But so I think there was a mixture of injuries and load management.

There was no Martin Supermendi.

There was no Declan Rice.

You know, I don't think those two are injured.

I just think they've been given some time off to rest.

And hopefully they're not going to be involved today because I don't want to see where those two involved in at the game.

Fewer youngsters are involved.

Jaden Dixon.

There's some other January signing from Stokes City.

He was involved in trust in the 18 year old.

Can play center back.

Can play right back.

My salmon was involved.

Max Downman.

Obviously was involved.

You can see him there.

On the screen.

So Tony set foot as well.

So plenty of youngsters involved in the squad.

We expect to see some of those involved today.

This afternoon.

Who plays is going to be interesting.

I'm going to do my predicted 11 in a minute.

And it's going to be so, so hard to actually get it right in terms of Saliba.

He wasn't involved in training yesterday.

And it is not expected to play.

Michele has given a bit of an update on the ankle injury that he has suffered from.

He was asked if it was related to the previous ankle injuries.

He's had the season.

Obviously, they came back to the Liverpool game at the start of season when he turned his ankle.

And it kind of had an issue with it ever since that.

Really, even though he played a lot of games.

Michele was asked, is it, is it related to that?

And he said, no, it's the other one.

We thought the same straight after the Chelsea game.

He wasn't comfortable to finish that game.

And straight after he didn't have a good feeling.

So let's see if he recovers quickly.

He was then asked, you know, is your possibility for men's field?

And I said, I said, and he said, I doubt it.

The fact he wasn't in training yesterday.

You know, suggest there's no way we're going to see Williamsly.

And not that you should really have been involved even if he was fit as well.

So we'll see hopefully he can come back quickly.

We don't want his absence to be a long one.

I've seen some huge games coming up after this one in the FA Cup.

We've got the Champions League, two leagues against Labour.

He's got Everton sandwich in between.

And then the big one of Wembley on the 22nd of March against Manchester City in the carabell.

Cup final.

So fingers crossed, he will be back for that because we all know that Arsenal are a better team.

And we're in Celebars there.

You know, we've seen mascara filling brilliantly for Celeb.

We've seen him capy and we've been sent back against Bryson and perform brilliantly.

But if you've got Celebur and you've got him fit for these big, big games in this big run.

And you need even the team.

There's no doubt about that.

So fingers crossed.

Celebur recovers and returns pretty quickly.

In terms of Max Downman, will we see him start today?

Obviously, this is going to be his first involvement.

You would expect since that injury that has kept him out for such a long time.

Michele was asked about Downman.

He was asked about the fact it was a first significant injury in this very, very young career.

So far he was asked, you know, what has he learned from this period?

Michele said a lot.

First of all, you miss playing.

That is the first thing.

So you don't take it for granted because it can be taken away from you when you don't expect it.

And for a long time as well, he had different routines.

He starts to understand more the rehab coaches, the physios, the doctors, the importance of the scans,

the discipline that you need to maintain your fitness when you have an injury.

Because if not after it's going to take a long time to get back to your levels.

But he's done so well.

He's been looking really good in training and hopefully we can give him chances to play.

He's right.

I think this will be an interesting period for Downman, you know, the first proper significant injuries had.

And as Michele said, it's just gives him an opportunity really to go through what everyone's going to go through.

He's just going through it a little bit younger than a lot of people do it.

Now he gets to work alongside the fitness coaches, the physios, the doctors and everyone.

And he builds up an understanding with them because let's face it.

The sort of player the McDowman is and the treatment that we know that he gets in game when he's on the pitch.

It's probably going to spend a lot of time with those people over the next few years because he's going to get a lot of kicks.

So this will hopefully stand him in good stead for that.

If you're really interested in see if we do see him from the start or gets my predicted 11 in a minute, I'll be numbing an R in.

Is he going to start him for this game?

Do you throw down and straight in 16 year old kid straight in against, you know, league one players who are going to be very, very.

Physical and they're going to look to really sort of get on top of some of those basketball players.

I think that's an interesting one to talk about, but good to see Max back and looking forward to seeing him involved today.

Even if it is from the start or if it is from the bench, the pitch is going to be interesting.

The pitch is not great by all accounts.

We have had for the first time in more basically what feels like forever a little bit of a dry period until yesterday.

It rained yesterday, but up to then the rest of the week have been pretty dry, which football pitches across the country have been crying out for because it's basically rained every single day since the 2026 style.

But apparently the manager pitch is not great.

It's not great to play people teams who have played there recently have spoken about it is very, very muddy when it gets where it gets very, very heavy.

So that is going to be something asked or going to have to have to deal with.

Michele was asked if he heard about the pitch and he said, well, I've asked about it.

And then he said, well, it's not that much grass on it by all accounts.

He said that that's normal.

It's the beauty of the competition as well.

You have to go there.

You have to adapt with all been playing since I was little.

We've all played in those stadiums or worse.

So you need to adapt to that context and make the most about it.

He was asked, will the pitch affect your team selection possibly given how heavy it might be and how difficult it might be.

You know, if you've got any players with injuries, is that going to affect your selection?

He said it can do.

There is a player carrying some sort of injury.

The pitch can affect him in the wrong way, especially certain muscles.

But hopefully we're going to have the ones that we need fit and available.

I think that's quite an interesting little sort of sub context to it.

If there are, you know, we know that Arsenal players are struggling for fitness for the fatigue, red zones, all that sort of stuff.

So, you know, going up against him on a really heavy pitch won't help them.

So the interesting, if that does, that's Michele suggests there sort of drip into his team selection.

A little bit right.

Let's go through the predicted 11 now, shall we?

Do you want your soccer analysis more direct than an Arsenal set piece?

Join me, Max Rushden and the Guardians expert soccer journalists for the latest action and news from the Premier League to the Champions League.

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So this is what I've gone for.

I look at this as potluck.

It's like throwing a dart at a board and seeing what number it lands on.

It's so hard to predict.

I've done pretty well with my predicted 11s this season.

I've been pretty happy with it.

I've gotten to Michele's mind quite well, I think.

But I'm guessing here.

It's very, very difficult to predict with injuries and everything.

And what he's going to do, you know.

So this is what I've gone for.

If you're watching on YouTube, you can see the graphic.

If not, if you're listening, I'll run through it now.

So I've gone keptering.

Oh, obviously, that's a certainty.

He's going to, he's going to start.

So I have gone with Dixon at right back.

Obviously, the summary signing from, from a.

Stoke.

Sorry to tell you what I'm mind.

Some, the January signing from Stoke.

Can play center back and he can play right back.

I'm thinking right back.

I was, I'm an R in because of who I've got ahead of him.

I was talking to James on the inside of us for extra time yesterday.

And I would play mascara right back.

So that I've got a bit of strength and seniority behind max down.

And if indeed he is going to play max down.

I'm not going to play mascara.

But I think he, I think he'll play Dixon.

Because Dixon has played definitely under 21 since he signed, I believe.

So I've gone Dixon.

I've been gone mascara and he appears to sense that's califury.

So there's no Lewis Kelly.

He's suspended because he got a yellow card in the fourth round.

Sorry, the third round and the fourth round.

Two yellow cards in this competition.

It means he's suspended for one game in FA Cup.

So he can't play, which is a real real shame.

Just like it's a real shame that Ben White is not available.

So Dixon, mascara and capya califury.

That is what I've gone for the four defenders.

I've been gone.

No God in the sort of holding me feel the role.

I've been gone.

Is there an habits.

I'm really not sure if he's going to risk habits.

I think he would like to get 60 minutes into the habits.

Just to build up his fitness.

But again, maybe the pitch plays into that.

Someone who's been struggling a little bit with muscle injuries of late.

You really want to play him on a heavy pitch.

So I wouldn't, you know, it's going to be so it's so difficult to predict.

But I've gone habits and is there.

And then I've gone down one on the right.

I think that's not that hard.

So it's not that hard.

Man.

I think it's so hard.

I mean, I look at.

And I think right hand side of Dixon and downman.

Will will are certain really do that.

It's very young.

It's very inexperienced against a legal outfit, so it's really, really hard.

So, but that's what i've gone for.

I think that's what.

to say what you would do, Dickson played it right back.

Says, Dream is his role 4, 4, 2, 6.

Says, Dickson played it right back in the last under 21 games.

So I think he's more likely to play there.

Good shout, Dr. Funky Punk says, Kepper Salmon, Moschera,

Califuri, MLS, Noni, Downman, Noregaard,

Ezra, Trossard, and Gabriel, J.Z.

I mean, that is interesting.

You could play Downman in a more central role rather

than out on the wing.

And M-A-B-K-4-T says, Gyakres would enjoy this game.

Downman could be fun off the bench with a tired man's field.

So that's what a few of you have been saying.

Thank you very much for that.

I think I've got one question that I just wanted to answer,

because I've had it so many times.

I have answered it before, but I keep getting the question.

So I'm going to answer it again quickly.

L-Tunz says, can him capy a feature versus Laver Cousin

being that he's on loan?

Yes, he can.

In the Premier League, you can't do that.

You can't play against your parent club

if you play them in a cup competition, something like that.

But in UEFA competitions, it's different.

They do allow it.

So even though he's only on loan, the Laver Cousin

and asked me, I haven't signed in permanently yet.

Pierre-Hencapier will be able to play in both legs

against his current parent club, even though that deal

for him is a permanent one.

It's just everything apart from him in the word in.

He is certainly going to be signed in for Arsenal.

Come the summer.

But yes, he can play in that game, which is a boost

considering how well he is playing.

And that is it from me today.

I think maybe I'll do something later if I can.

But as I said at the start of the show,

it's pretty unlikely, I think.

So this is probably the last you'll hear from me

until Monday morning.

But I will be back to normal from that point onwards.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone.

And I'll speak to you soon.

Bye-bye.

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Looking for soccer analysis, more knowing than a car

and shallotty eyebrow raise with the world cover

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 due belling in 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.