Partey decision, Saka and Rice plan - Arsenal dream XI vs Real Madrid after injury blow

Whatever Mikel Arteta's strongest Arsenal XI might be at the moment, it certainly wasn't on display on Saturday against Brentford. A host of key players were taken out of the side from the start and a handful were already sidelined through injury.

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus know that their season is over. Takehiro Tomiyasu's was a no-go almost from the offset, and Gabriel Magalhaes is the latest to end up needing surgery.

Along the way there have been reoccurring problems for Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Jurrien Timber. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are back but have been recovering from their own absences.

It has left Arteta scrambling to assemble a side worthy of competing at the top end of the Premier League and in Europe for large parts of a frustrating campaign. That will all be forgotten against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Arsenal travel to the Spanish capital with an enormous 3-0 aggregate lead and a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League perilously close. Arteta and his side earned this lead with Timber far from fully fit, Saka in the same boat, and Jakub Kiwior starting the biggest game of his career.

Even with most of the integral parts all rested at least for a brief period at the weekend, Arteta will not have an easy selection to make. Thomas Partey's fitness is uncertain at this stage - "He felt something so we didn't want to take any risks" - whilst Jorginho, also took a blow.

The latter is not a likely start against Madrid but could come into contention if Partey is unavailable. The defence has been stripped back to its barebones elsewhere, hence why Partey was called in at right-back.

Timber is the logical right-back given White is lacking sharpness and readiness. William Saliba is one of the few that did start both the Champions League and Brentford matches. Kiwior is pretty much the only other senior centre-back available unless Arteta wished to do something out of the ordinary with Timber in a central role, which is a spot he filled at Ajax before joining.

Myles Lewis-Skelly continues on the left with only Oleksandr Zinchenko for cover right now. The midfield is a bit more complicated. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are sure to return but the state of Partey will influence things. If he is passed as ready then he makes it into the strongest team available, if not, there are questions.

Jorginho could be used (again, if fit) but might struggle physically. Deploying Ethan Nwaneri from deep is another option. It would be an attacking pick but there isn't too many more options.

Lewis-Skelly could be played in midfield to add balance but that would leave either Timber on the left and White forced back in on the right, or one of Lewis-Skelly or Zinchenko moving into midfield. Mikel Merino could also go back to his natural spot but that leaves a hole up front where he has been playing well of late.

Most of this depends on injury updates. In an ideal world Partey is ready and it is a case of as you were. The attack is much of the same. Martinelli is a shoe-in on the left with Saka returning again on the right. Merino's preferred position currently is as makeshift striker and nobody has his profile.

Should Merino be needed in midfield then Leandro Trossard has been used as a No.9 previously, so too has Martinelli. This would be a last resort given the magnitude of the match, though.

Arsenal strongest XI vs Real Madrid: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli.

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