Mikel Arteta has opted to make five changes to his side for tonight Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle United, with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz passed fit to start.

The duo have been struggling with illness recently, with Martin starting our last outing at Brighton & Hove Albion on the bench, while Kai has missed the last two matches completely. But both are back at our disposal tonight meaning Gabriel Jesus and former Magpie Mikel Merino drop to the bench,

Jurrien Timber is available again after suspension which sees Thomas Partey move back into midfield, while on the other side of defence Myles Lewis-Skelly is given another chance to impress, with Riccardo Calafiori among the replacements. With Ethan Nwaneri injured, Gabriel Martinelli returns on the wing.

As for our opponents, they’ve made one switch from the starting XI that beat Tottenham 2-1 in north London on Saturday.

Bruno Guimaraes is suspended, so former Gunner Joe Willock replaces the Magpies’ skipper in central midfield. He has missed just seven matches since joining them in January 2022, and Howe’s side have failed to win any of them.

LINE-UPS

Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz.

Subs: Porter, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Jesus.

Newcastle: Dubravka, Livramento, Burn, Botman, Hall, Tonali, Willock, Joelinton, Murphy, Gordon, Isak.

Subs: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Targett, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley, Barnes, Almiron, Osula.

Before kick-off, get prepared for the 90 minutes ahead with all the need-to-know stats, in-depth tactical analysis and a guide to Newcastle’s recent form in our match preview