Mikel Arteta drops Arenal team news hint after Virgil van Dijk’s title claim

Mikel Arteta is expected to name a strong team against Crystal Palace tonight despite Arsenal’s focus already shifting to next week’s showdown against PSG in the Champions League

Arsenal know that a failure to defeat Crystal Palace tonight will guarantee Liverpool become champions and Mikel Arteta is still determined to put out a strongest team despite the temptation to rest several stars with one eye on next week’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

And the good news for Arsenal is that Bukayo Saka is expected to feature because the ankle injury sustained against Ipswich at the weekend is not serious. There was a less positive update on midfielder Jorginho, though, with the Italian potentially out for the rest of the season.

Arteta has no other injury concerns as he weighs up whether to make some changes against FA Cup semi-finalists Palace.

Here are the big stories from in and around the Emirates Stadium.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta faces tricky balancing act as Arsenal boss makes Premier League vowREAD MORE: Mikel Arteta responds to Virgil van Dijk’s comments with telling Arsenal admission

No cotton wool

Mikel Arteta insists he will not wrap his Arsenal stars in cotton wool on Wednesday for fear of interrupting their rhythm before next week’s showdown against PSG. The Gunners host Crystal Palace knowing failure to win will confirm Liverpool as Premier League champions.

And with the excitement around next week’s Champions League semi-final already building, Arteta is adamant that he has no interest in resting his big names – even if their domestic campaign is all but over.

“We cannot think in those terms,” Arteta said. “When the players are fit and available, they have to play. They are at their best when they play and are consistent in their performances.

Saka update

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed there is a chance Bukayo Saka will feature against Crystal Palace. The Gunners star suffered an injury scare during the north London side’s win over Ipswich Town at the weekend.

Saka suffered a rash challenge from full-back Leif Davis, who was given a straight red card by referee Chris Kavanagh. The Tractor Boys ace raked a stomp down the back of the Arsenal talisman’s leg 32 minutes.

The winger was able to continue but was replaced soon into the second period and was seen applying ice to his ankle soon after. Nevertheless, Arteta is confident the issue is not serious heading into the game against Crystal Palace.

Van Dijk party

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is preparing to gather his team-mates together to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace on Wednesday. The Reds will officially become champions if their rivals suffer a shock defeat, but their captain expects the title won’t be official until the weekend at the earliest.

There’s a 13-point gap between the teams with five games to go, meaning defeat for Arsenal in midweek will make it impossible to catch the league leaders.

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