Bukayo Saka is expected to start for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday, after coming off the bench to score and assist in the midweek Champions League win over Lille.
Saka was initially named on the bench for that match before entering in the second half, registering a goal and an assist within six minutes. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed after the game that Saka had been dealing with a minor illness issue, but he is set to be ready to start at the City Ground.
Havertz and Odegaard set to return
Forward Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard are also expected to return to the Gunners' starting lineup. Riccardo Calafiori, who was given a full rest against Lille, is also expected to start in the Midlands.
Arsenal have a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, but with two European wins already this season, a weakened side at Forest would be a surprise. Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino did not do enough to push their cases for more starts, while Eberechi Eze scored in the routine victory over Lille.
Defensive decisions and injury updates
Arteta has a decision to make in the continued absence of the injured Christos Tzolis, who is hoped to return in the next few weeks following a hamstring issue suffered playing for Greece. There is also a difficult call regarding Ben White and Jurrien Timber at right-back, with White potentially getting the nod as Timber's minutes continue to be managed carefully after his injury problems.
Martin Zubimendi could return to the squad, but Piero Hincapie remains unavailable after suffering an ankle injury during a post-match training session following last weekend's 2-1 win over Leeds. Long-term absentee William Saliba is back in individual training following a serious back injury suffered at the World Cup, with a return hoped for at some point in November, but he is still some way off being in contention.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Havertz. Injured: Saliba, Hincapie, Tzolis. Doubt: Zubimendi. The match kicks off at 4:30pm BST on Sunday October 18, 2026 at the City Ground, and will be shown on Sky Sports.
