Arsenal lineup vs. Portsmouth: Predicted XI for FA clash with Madueke, Eze decisions made as Arteta faces defensive conundrum

Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are among those who could be handed starting spots, with Mikel Arteta set to make wholesale changes for Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie against Championship strugglers Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Arsenal boss is widely expected to rest his first-team regulars following Thursday's goalless draw with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

Forward Gabriel Jesus will make his second start since returning from a long-term knee injury last month.

Gabriel Martinelli is poised to replace Leandro Trossard on the left flank, while Madueke is likely to offer the threat from the right wing, offering star attacker Bukayo Saka some vital rest amid the busy schedule.

Former Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard will be given a run-out alongside Mikel Merino and Eze in the middle of the park.

Eze will be looking to make a key contribution to Arsenal's attacking efforts and stake his case to play more regularly after only getting just over 10 minutes of action across the last five Premier League matches. 

Ideally, Arteta would like to rest the first-choice central defensive pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, but he is light on senior centre-backs, with Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera out of action and Piero Hincapie unlikely to feature after being forced off in the second half against Liverpool.

As a result, Arteta could be tempted to keep Gabriel on the side and bring in 16-year-old Marli Salmon for his first senior start after making his debut in December's Champions League win over Club Brugge.

Alternatively, the Arsenal boss may decide to bring a central midfielder into the back four, especially if he expects his team to enjoy an overwhelming share of possession at Fratton Park.

Myles Lewis-Skelly will be brought in to operate at left-back, while Ben White should feature on the right side of defence, although he is another option to play in the middle of the backline.

Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga has played all of Arsenal's EFL Cup games this season and should get some more game time in the FA Cup. 

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Arrizabalaga; White, Salmon, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Merino, Norgaard, Eze; Madeuke, Martinelli, Jesus