Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has some thinking to do ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup last-16 clash.
The Gunners head to West Ham for their midweek cup game before heading to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday.
With that in mind, the Arsenal boss may look to rotate his starting XI around, but at the same time not weaken it too much, considering the tough opposition.
One Arsenal player who looks likely to get a start is Fabio Vieira, who has been doing well for the Gunners when called upon.
He has one goal and two assists from six Premier League outings for Arsenal – totalling 203 minutes – this term.
Last time out, he won a penalty for the Gunners with a good moment of urgency, before stepping up to the spot and slotting home.
The more games Vieira plays, the more confident he becomes. He needs more game time – starts, even – to keep up the momentum.
And with Odegaard missing the last game, it would be a good chance to rest him once again and give Vieira a chance in his position.
The Norwegian could then replace his 23-year-old teammate midway through the second half to help see the game out and get some minutes ahead of the Newcastle clash.
Arsenal ace Fabio Vieira is ‘more mature’ and more confident now
Vieira needed a bit of time to find his feet at Arsenal, but now he’s looking much better and is capable of ‘special‘ moments.
Indeed, both Arteta and Gunners legend Martin Keown have deemed him a much different player this term.
In September, Arteta said: “We knew that Fabio would have a big impact, especially in the last few minutes if we needed something.
“Something has changed with Fabio, you notice it in the way the crowd are when he steps in compared to last year.
“He’s more mature, he’s more senior within the squad and his confidence is high, so I’m more than happy to have those options.”
Meanwhile, Keown told talkSPORT: “What I would say for those detractors, I think Vieira who came off the bench was a completely different animal.
“He’s a player that many said the previous season wasn’t really good enough. Well, he showed when he came off the bench that he should perhaps be playing in front of Havertz.”
