Bukayo Saka has been left out of the Arsenal squad for this afternoon's Premier League showdown with champions Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

The England international has been playing through the pain in the last few matches and came off in the first half of the Gunners' 2-1 defeat to Lens in the Champions League on Tuesday due to a muscle injury.

Mikel Arteta revealed at his pre-match press conference that Saka would be "in contention" to play against the reigning Premier League champions, but the winger's club-record run of 87 consecutive league starts will come to an end this afternoon as he has not been selected in Arsenal's matchday squad.

Arteta has made a total of three changes to the side that lost to Lens in midweek, with Ben White, Jorginho and Eddie Nketiah all coming into the first XI at the expense of Saka, Kai Havertz and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

David Raya keeps his place in goal at the expense of Aaron Ramsdale, with White returning to the back four that also includes William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and ex-Man City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Jorginho will be joined in centre-midfield by Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaard, while Nketiah will lead the line in between Gabriel Jesus – another former Man City man – and Leandro Trossard.

While the loss of Saka is a notable blow for Arsenal, they have boosted by the return of Gabriel Martinelli, who has recovered from a hamstring injury to make the substitutes' bench; Thomas Partey is also among the replacements for the Gunners.

As for Man City, Pep Guardiola has also made three changes to the side that beat RB Leipzig 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic and Julian Alvarez all coming in for Manuel Akanji, Rodri – who is suspended – and Jack Grealish respectively.

Goalkeeper Ederson will make his 300th Citizens appearance between the sticks and will be protected by a back four of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Ake and Josko Gvardiol.

After starring in midfield against Leipzig in midweek, 18-year-old Rico Lewis retains his starting spot in the middle and will links arms with former Chelsea man Kovacic.

Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are set to occupy the flanks, while Alvarez returns in attack to support Erling Haaland, who scored in both home and away meetings against Arsenal last season.

Guardiola stated in his pre-match press conference that John Stones would not be ready to play against Arsenal having struggled with a muscle injury for much of this campaign, but the defender has been named on the substitutes' bench this afternoon.

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Jesus, Nketiah, Trossard

Subs: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Partey, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Nelson, Martinelli, Havertz

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic; Bernardo, Alvarez, Foden; Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Phillips, Stones, Grealish, Doku, Gomez, Akanji, Nunes, Bobb