Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta only has one confirmed absentee to work around for Monday's Premier League battle with Crystal Palace.

The Gunners are expected to make do without Granit Xhaka for the rest of 2021 following his serious knee injury, but Gabriel Martinelli has emerged as a doubt after picking up an injury over the international break.

However, the Brazilian starlet was never likely to start here, as Arteta sticks with a tried-and-tested formula having taken 10 points from the last 12 on offer in the top flight.

Aaron Ramsdale has firmly established himself as the club's number one with only one goal conceded in the Premier League so far, and he will marshal the defence of Gabriel and Ben White once more.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney will continue in the full-back areas, while Albert Sambi Lokonga and Thomas Partey should resume their midfield partnership with Xhaka out injured.

Arteta does have the option of dropping Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard deeper in a 4-3-3 - which would open up a space for Nicolas Pepe to start - but such a move is unlikely to occur here.

As a result, Odegaard, Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka are set to form an unchanged attacking line behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with soon-to-be free agent Alexandre Lacazette still warming the bench.

Arsenal possible starting lineup: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Lokonga; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang body check tags ::