After proudly winning another trophy under the sunny skies of Wembley, Arsenal will kick off their newest attempt to be the best in the Premier League. They'll be playing against Nottingham Forest at home on Saturday around lunchtime.
After finally breaking their streak of bad luck against Manchester City and winning the Community Shield last weekend, Arsenal is eager to get back at the team that dashed their hopes of winning the title last season, Nottingham Forest.
Team News: Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest
The Arsenal medical team is working extra hard before the new season begins. Gabriel Jesus will need a few weeks to recover from a knee surgery, and Mohamed Elneny, who hasn't played since January, is still healing from a procedure on the same area.
Oleksandr Zinchenko had a short appearance in the Game4Ukraine but missed the Community Shield due to a calf issue. Reiss Nelson, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Jorginho, and Folarin Balogun also sat out the Community Shield due to toe, muscle, and foot problems. It's uncertain if any of them will be ready to play this weekend.
However, Jurrien Timber did well as a left-back in the Community Shield, and Trossard might get a starting spot instead of Eddie Nketiah, given his impressive performances in the pre-season.
Regarding the opposing team, Brennan Johnson returned from the bench in the match against Frankfurt. However, Cooper doesn't seem optimistic about Awoniyi's chances of recovering from his knee issue in time for Saturday.
Felipe, Wayne Hennessey, and Omar Richards are also sidelined due to knee and groin problems. Moussa Niakhate has just resumed training after a shoulder issue, so he's unlikely to be included.
The newly-signed Matt Turner is expected to make his debut as the goalkeeper against his former club. Using a wing-back system could increase Ola Aina's chances of playing his first Premier League minutes for the Tricky Trees. He had previously played for Fulham and Chelsea in the competition.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Turner; Worrall, Boly, McKenna; Aurier, Yates, Danilo, Mangala, Aina; Gibbs-White, Johnson