Arsenal lineup vs. Mansfield confirmed as huge Max Dowman, Marli Salmon decisions made for FA Cup clash

Arsenal have confirmed a bizarre starting lineup for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round showdown with Mansfield Town at Field Mill.

While Mikel Arteta's men also fight for Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup glory, the Spaniard was always expected to make a plethora of rotations for the trip to the bottom-half League One side.

No fewer than eight players missed training on Friday - some injured, some just rested - while Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended for the fifth-round clash due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Arteta has made a total of nine changes to the team that beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in the Premier League on Wednesday night, and the headlines are undoubtedly starting roles for 16-year-olds Max Dowman and Marli Salmon.

The former has added yet another record to his CV, becoming the Gunners' youngest-ever player in the FA Cup, but exactly where he will fit in to the visitors' starting XI is another question entirely.

Indeed, Arteta has picked an attack-heavy team for the fifth-round tie, as all of Dowman, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard make the starting XI.

Max Dowman breaks new Arsenal record as Mikel Arteta makes nine changes

Martinelli is one of just two starters from Wednesday evening to retain their spot in the lineup, the other being Cristhian Mosquera, who could potentially start at right-back for the 14-time winners.

Christian Norgaard and Riccardo Calafiori have also been brought into the Arsenal lineup, the former likely lining up in central defence and Calafiori occupying the left-back role.

Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres are all on the bench, but David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are among the notable absentees from the squad.

Meanwhile, nine of the Mansfield players who started the 2-1 win at Burnley in the fourth round have been named in Nigel Clough's XI today, the exceptions being Aaron Lewis and Will Evans.

Among the players brought into the Mansfield starting lineup is Tyler Roberts, who faced Arsenal three times in the Premier League with Leeds United and provided an assist in a 4-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium in 2021.

Arsenal starting lineup: Kepa; Mosquera, Salmon, Norgaard, Calafiori; Dowman, Havertz, Trossard; Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli

Subs: Setford, Hincapie, Saka, Eze, Timber, Gyokeres, Dixon, Harriman-Annous, Ibrahim

Mansfield starting lineup: L. Roberts; Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy; Akins, Abbott, Reed, McLaughlin; Russell, T. Roberts; Oates

Subs: H. Lewis, Bowery, Hewitt, A. Lewis, Hendry, Moriah-Welsh, Irow, Evans, Adeboyejo