Two Arsenal players should be nowhere near the team sheet when the Gunners take on Club Brugge in Wednesday's Champions League clash, Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.
Mikel Arteta's men arrive at the Jan Breydel Stadium safe in the knowledge that victory will almost certainly see them through to the last 16, having taken a maximum 15 points from their opening five matches of the 2025-26 league phase.
Meanwhile, Club Brugge - who sacked Nicky Hayen on Monday - have collected just four points from five games, and Arteta is expected to rest and rotate following the weekend's 2-1 Premier League loss to Aston Villa, where Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi both completed the full 90.
However, Watts has urged Arteta to give both midfielders the night off, which would allow the likes of Christian Norgaard and Mikel Merino to earn starts in their natural midfield positions if Viktor Gyokeres also comes back in.
"There's a nice couple of weeks for Arsenal - I don't really want to see Zubimendi or Rice near the game on Wednesday," Watts said. "I have a feeling we'll probably see one, but I would love it if both of them could get a bit of a rest, bring Norgaard in. This is why you signed Christian Norgaard - if you can't play Christian Norgaard in this game, when are you ever going to be able to?
"And then Gyokeres, who you think will probably start because he needs minutes, that could allow you to play Merino in the Declan Rice role. Give them both the night off, which would be great.
Mikel Arteta urged to rest Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi for Club Brugge clash © Sports Mole
"I thought they looked dead on their feet towards the end of the Villa game. It was definitely an argument for bringing Norgaard in for that final 15 minutes against Villa, which Arteta obviously didn't do."
While Arsenal have a fully-fit midfield contingent and most of their attackers available for the clash with Club Brugge, the North London club are still dealing with a depleted defence and may be without no fewer than four backline members.
Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) and Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh) are definitely absent, and it remains to be seen if William Saliba comes back into the fold after missing each of Arsenal's last three matches with a knock.
Additionally, Riccardo Calafiori was seen limping towards the tunnel after Saturday's loss to Villa, potentially depriving Arteta of another central option for the matchweek six clash, where Myles Lewis-Skelly is likely to fill in at left-back.
However, Calafiori's possible absence would likely force Arteta to stick with Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber at centre-back once more, and the former has been an injury "waiting to happen" in Watts's view.
Arsenal's Riccardo Calafiori "an injury waiting to happen" © Imago / Sports Press Photo
"When Saka scored against Brentford, Calafiori just fell on the turf. He just looked absolutely shattered," Watts added. "Hincapie went over, picked him up and then they celebrated together. He is someone who's played an awful lot of football that ideally you would love to give a rest to.
"He's suspended for the Wolves game, so he's going to get a rest at the weekend, whatever happens. We'll see if he's involved on Wednesday night - it feels like he needs to be if he's fit just because of the other injuries. If you want to give Hincapie a rest, you could move Calafiori into the centre and play Myles Lewis-Skelly. If Calafiori is definitely out, you can just play Myles at left back and keep Hincapie in.
"But it's a tough balance for Mikel Arteta, because he's not got many defenders to pick from. Calafiori has looked like an injury waiting to happen for a while - he's nursing a bit of a problem. But when you lose so many players, you can't rest the ones that you really want."
However, Calafiori was seen in open training on Tuesday, although Rice was among two unexpected absentees from the session at London Colney.