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Arsenal will look to shake off the disappointment of their Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City by defeating Southampton and booking a spot in the FA Cup semifinals.
The Gunners, after a promising start, were comfortably beaten 2–0 by Manchester City—their closest rivals in the Premier League title race—raising concerns about a potential late-season collapse. With no further international breaks on the horizon to interrupt momentum, Arsenal must now focus on pursuing the three trophies they are still in the running for.
Standing in their way first is an in-form Southampton side in the FA Cup quarterfinals, and it will be fascinating to see which players Mikel Arteta can call upon following a wave of injury withdrawals during the international break.
Ten Players Withdraw From International Duty
Skeptics have implied that the large number of Arsenal players pulling out of international duty was far from coincidental.
Those who did pick up minor knocks appear to have avoided serious setbacks, meaning some could still feature this weekend. That said, Arteta will have one eye on the first leg of Arsenal's Champions League quarterfinal against Sporting CP the following week.
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martín Zubimendi are all likely to be rested, while the knee injury Noni Madueke suffered on England duty may rule him out this weekend. Jurriën Timber and Eberechi Eze both sat out the Carabao Cup final, with the latter expected to miss a large portion of April due to a calf problem.
Captain Martin Ødegaard has been sidelined once again with a knee complaint, though there is optimism he will return to action in the near future. The timeline for Mikel Merino's comeback remains unclear following foot surgery he underwent at the beginning of the year.
Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Piero Hincapié and Leandro Trossard are also nursing injuries.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Southampton (4-2-3-1)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga—Arteta appears to feel he owes his backup goalkeeper significant game time, so it would be no surprise to see Kepa retain his spot for another domestic cup appearance, despite his costly error in the Carabao Cup final a fortnight ago.
RB: Cristhian Mosquera—With both White and Timber potentially sidelined, Arteta is more likely to turn to Mosquera, who recently received his first Spain call-up, rather than teenager Marli Salmon, who started in the fifth-round tie at Mansfield Town.
CB: William Saliba—Saliba's troublesome ankles require careful management, but he may be included in Saturday's squad out of necessity. This is not a cup tie Arteta can afford to exit, given the Wembley heartbreak.
CB: Gabriel—Gabriel was not involved in any North American travel during the break, with Brazil playing two matches in the United States. His fitness concern does not appear serious enough to rule him out here, even if additional rest would be welcome.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—Calafiori endured a miserable international break. Despite Italy's valiant effort to force penalties with 10 men, Bosnia & Herzegovina triumphed in the shootout, condemning the Azzurri to yet another qualification disaster. Italy have not appeared at a tournament they have won four times since 2014.
CM: Christian Nørgaard—Nørgaard has been a regular fixture in domestic cup competitions, and he is expected to get the call again on Saturday. He will also be absent from the World Cup after Denmark fell to Czechia in the playoffs.
CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—The academy prospect has had limited opportunities this season, but with key midfielders needing a breather, Lewis-Skelly—a reported transfer target for Manchester United—may get the chance to shine in his favored position.
RW: Max Dowman—The teenage talent impressed for England U-19s during the break and looks set to make a second straight FA Cup start.
AM: Kai Havertz—The German's combination with Viktor Gyökeres failed to click in the final despite an encouraging opening, and he could be deployed in a more natural number 10 role against Southampton.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli—Despite accumulating considerable air miles, Martinelli may be required to start on Saturday evening in the likely absence of Trossard. He has been a consistent contributor in cup competitions this season.
ST: Gabriel Jesus—An elated Gyökeres will be saved for the clashes with his former club in Europe, opening the door for Jesus to earn a place in the starting eleven.