Arsenal XI vs Sunderland: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup, injury latest for Premier League | OneFootball

Former Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes pushing to start on Wearside

Bruno Guimaraes could make his first Premier League start for Arsenal against Sunderland on Saturday night.

The £75million summer signing from Newcastle has endured a slow start to his career in north London due to minor injury issues.

He came off the bench against Napoli in the Champions League in midweek and manager Mikel Arteta could now start him alongside Declan Rice on Wearside.

Guimaraes, the former Newcastle captain, is guaranteed a hostile reception at the Stadium of Light but that is unlikely to impact Arteta's thinking.

Christos Tzolis and Kai Havertz should both come back into the starting lineup, after only making cameos off the bench in the 1-0 league phase win in Naples on Wednesday night.

Another change is expected at left-back, with Riccardo Calafiori set to return in place of Piero Hincapie.

Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera are both pushing to be included in the squad and a late decision will be made on their fitness, while Ben White is available to face Sunderland after going off late against Napoli.

Hostile reception: Former Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes will want to start for Arsenal against Sunderland

Getty

Timber has made just one appearance since mid-March - off the bench in the Champions League final in May - but he has stepped up his recovery in recent weeks and travelled to Italy on Tuesday, though was not part of the squad to meet Napoli.

"Let's see, we have another training session [on Friday]," Arteta said of Timber's availability for the Sunderland trip.

"He's been doing really well, he's been training with us now for a few days and he looks in good shape."

Mosquera appears more unlikely to be involved, having missed the last two matches with a muscle issue suffered in the win over Aston Villa.

"He's been doing really well," Arteta said of Mosquera. "Let's see if he can get this game or the next one. It will be around that time, I think."

Arsenal remain without William Saliba, who is sidelined for an extended period but avoided surgery after exacerbating an ongoing back problem on World Cup duty with France earlier this summer.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz

Injured: Saliba