Man City are hopeful that in-form midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will be ready to return for this one, having missed out against Everton in midweek due to a slight groin injury.

The German added another brace to his goal tally last weekend to make him Man City's leading Premier League scorer this season, with all of his 11 goals coming in his last 12 outings.

Ominously for the rest of Europe, Man City's options only seem to be getting stronger too; Kevin De Bruyne returned from injury off the bench in midweek and could start this match, while record goalscorer Sergio Aguero was also among the substitutes for that game.

Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez would all usually be among the first in line to drop out in favour of Gundogan or De Bruyne, but they were all on the scoresheet against Everton to make Pep Guardiola's selection headache even bigger.

Raheem Sterling was the man to make way for De Bruyne on Wednesday, but he is expected to start again having scored four goals and created two more in his last five Premier League games against Arsenal, including goals in each of his last three.

Should Gundogan return then Nathan Ake would be the only injury absentee for Man City, and Arsenal also have a relatively clean bill of health for this contest.

Thomas Partey will again be assessed ahead of kickoff despite being expected to fall short once more, but Kieran Tierney is now back available having returned off the bench in midweek.

Mikel Arteta named an unchanged team in Rome, with Rob Holding and Alexandre Lacazette among those to miss out again, although both could return for this one as Arteta looks to keep his squad fresh.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will also expect to start following his hat-trick last weekend, making it five goals in his last two top-flight starts.

Another two-goal haul this weekend would see the skipper become the first Arsenal player since Derek Tapscott in March 1956 to score two or more goals in three consecutive league starts.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Saka, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang; Lacazette

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Sterling, Foden