Mikel Arteta is expected to make significant changes to his Arsenal side for Tuesday night's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against League Two outfit Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium.
The Gunners travel north to Blackpool on Tuesday morning, a decision influenced in part by the Ballon d'Or ceremony held in London on Monday evening.
Ballon d'Or Representatives
Arteta, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and David Raya all represented Arsenal at the event. Raya missed out on the Yashin Trophy, while Arteta was beaten to the coach of the year award by World Cup winner Luis de la Fuente. Saka did pick up the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work.
Attention now turns back to the pitch, with Arteta having described Arsenal's recent fixture schedule as "terrible". The match against Fleetwood offers a chance to rest key players ahead of a significant Premier League clash with Liverpool this weekend.
Under-21s Clash
Arsenal's Carabao Cup tie coincides with an Under-21s fixture, as the academy side face AFC Wimbledon in the Football League Trophy on Tuesday night. Many of the club's promising youngsters will feature in that game rather than with Arteta's senior squad.
James Scanlon is understood to be among those staying with the Under-21s, with the winger not expected to receive a first call-up to the senior matchday squad for the Fleetwood match.
Ceadach O'Neill, who was named on the bench for the recent Champions League match against Lille, appears likely to be included in the Carabao Cup squad and is in contention to play some part at Highbury Stadium.
Training Boost
Andre Harriman-Annous took part in full first-team training on Monday ahead of the cup fixture, though it remains to be seen where he will feature. The match represents an opportunity for Arsenal's emerging talent to gain senior experience as the club continues its push across multiple competitions.
