Arsenal: Four big Mikel Arteta selection decisions for Brentford before Real Madrid | OneFootball

Gunners must weigh up needs for momentum and rest ahead of Champions League second leg at the Bernabeu next week

Mikel Arteta is expected to make changes to his team when Arsenal host Brentford on Saturday ahead of the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid next week.

Arsenal travel to Madrid on Wednesday with a commanding lead after a 3-0 win in the first leg at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The Gunners look out of the Premier League title race as leaders Liverpool are 11 points clear of them with seven games to go.

Arteta will want to keep the momentum going ahead of a trip to the Bernabeu, and here Standard Sport assesses a number of selection headaches he faces.

Who gets a rest?

Arteta very rarely makes wholesale changes and likes to keep an element of continuity with his team selection.

The Arsenal boss is also a winner and, even against lower league opposition in the Carabao Cup, he has historically gone strong.

Arteta’s Arsenal face Brentford on Saturday before their trip to Real Madrid next Wednesday

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Before the first leg against Real Madrid, Arteta made five changes for the trip to Goodison Park last weekend and a similar number is likely for Brentford.

The debate for Arteta is who does he give an afternoon off to?

Martin Odegaard was on the bench against Everton so he may start this weekend, especially as Declan Rice was forced off towards the end of the Real Madrid win.

Arsenal will undoubtedly have plenty of defending to do in the second leg in Madrid and they will surely want Rice fresh for that.

Myles Lewis-Skelly could also be given a well-earned rest after his excellent display, with both Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko options at left-back.

Does Arteta risk starting Saliba?

Arsenal are short on centre-back options after Gabriel was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.

Takehiro Tomiyasu will also not return this season due to a knee injury and Riccardo Calafiori is still sidelined.

It means Arteta has just three fit centre-backs in Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba.

Saliba is a key player for Arsenal, who have lost his centre-back partner Gabriel for the rest of the season

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Arteta will surely be tempted to give Saliba a rest given he is the key man in the backline.

But White may be needed to come in at right-back as Jurrien Timber was struggling with an injury last week that forced him to be on the bench for the draw at Everton.

Therefore Arteta may opt to just stick with the centre-back pairing of Kiwior and Saliba, which has started the last two games.

The Arsenal boss has shown he is not afraid to risk Saliba and earlier this season started him at Preston in the Carabao Cup.

How many minutes does Saka get?

Bukayo Saka was in fine form on Tuesday as he marked his first start since December with a brilliant performance.

The winger terrorised Real Madrid’s left side and gave David Alaba a torrid time.

Bukayo Saka starred against Real Madrid on his first start in more than three months

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Arsenal have carefully built up Saka’s minutes as he makes his way back from the hamstring injury that kept him out for more than three months.

The 23-year-old got 25 minutes off the bench in the win over Fulham last week and then 45 at Everton, before starting on Tuesday.

Saka was forced off towards the end after picking up a knock and, as a result, Arteta may be wary about risking him from the start against Brentford.

He is still only just working his way back to full fitness and Arsenal will need him firing at the Bernabeu.

Where does Merino play?

Mikel Merino has enjoyed a remarkable couple of months since being tasked with the role of playing upfront for Arsenal.

He scored the third goal against Real Madrid and has six goals in his last 10 games.

Mikel Merino scored the third goal on Tuesday

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But in the match before at Everton, Merino was tasked with playing in midfield as Arteta made changes to the team.

Leandro Trossard was given a start as the striker, operating as a ‘false nine’, and the same could happen against Brentford.

The move forced Merino to drop into midfield, but it allowed Arteta to rest Odegaard for the Real Madrid game.

Merino missed the first two months of the season with a shoulder injury and seemingly has plenty of miles left in the tank.