Three Arsenal players set for Carabao Cup chance to impress against Ipswich | OneFootball

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expected to ring the changes in third round

Arsenal are on the road once again as they travel to face Ipswich on Tuesday night.

After successful trips to Naples and Sunderland, Mikel Arteta's side now begin their Carabao Cup campaign at Portman Road.

Rotation is expected but Arsenal's strength in depth, particularly in midfield, means that this is a competition the club should be eyeing a deep run in even with a much-changed side.

Arteta has largely stuck with the same lineup in the Premier League, making these cup matches even more important for those looking to force their way into his thinking.

Here are three players who need to take their chance against Ipswich...

Martin Zubimendi

What a difference a year makes.

Martin Zubimendi is yet to start a match this season, with all five of his appearances coming off the bench. Three of those were in the final ten minutes of games.

At this stage last season, Zubimendi had not only started the first five matches but played the full 90 minutes in all of them.

Martin Zubimendi has been the biggest casualty of Arsenal’s midfield depth

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Not so now. Zubimendi has found himself behind both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Bruno Guimaraes in the midfield pecking order.

That depth is a big positive for Arsenal. Last season, Zubimendi's form collapsed in the second half of the season as he grew exhausted after such a heavy workload.

There should be no repeat of that this time but Zubimendi will want to push himself back into the Premier League picture, starting with a strong performance against Ipswich.

Viktor Gyokeres

The drop-off for Viktor Gyokeres has been even starker.

He has not come off the bench at all in three of Arsenal's four league matches so far. In the other, the win over Chelsea, he was given just 12 minutes.

Gyokeres started against Napoli in the Champions League and managed only nine touches in 73 minutes. In a match in which Arsenal registered 26 shots, Gyokeres did not have a single one.

He looks low on confidence and Kai Havertz's form has put further focus on the struggles Gyokeres has in getting involved with Arsenal's build-up.

Viktor Gyokeres has only featured in one Premier League game so far this season

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With Arsenal hoping to go deep in all four competitions, and Havertz having a history of injury issues in recent seasons, Gyokeres should still get plenty of game time over the course of the season.

When it comes, Arsenal need more from him. His lack of involvement in general play can be forgiven if he is finding space in the box and scoring goals.

In the league last season, 11 of Gyokeres' 14 goals came against clubs in the bottom half. The other three were at home to Sunderland and Bournemouth.

Ipswich, then, are the kind of side that he should relish playing.

Eberechi Eze

This Carabao Cup trip also feels like a particularly significant night for Eberechi Eze.

With Martin Odegaard looking back to his best, and Mikel Merino preferred in his place off the bench so far, Eze's route to minutes in midfield has become increasingly crowded.

His appearances have instead come on the left wing, though those too have been limited with Christos Tzolis currently first-choice.

Otherwise, though, it has been a quiet start to the season. He had no real impact when starting against Napoli and his other cameos have been low-key as well.

When Tzolis has been at his best, he has drifted in off the left wing and combined with Odegaard in central areas. Three of his four assists have been for the Arsenal captain.

That is a role that should suit Eze, playing primarily off the left but with the freedom to come inside.

However, there has been little sign of him hitting top form yet this season. That needs to change if he is to become more than just a rotation option.