Team News: Per Mertesacker starts for Arsenal

Per Mertesacker is to make his first start for Arsenal in 13 months as they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley this evening.

As expected, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has demoted first-choice stopper Petr Cech to the bench in favour of David Ospina as he looks to secure the club a record 13th win in the competition and their third victory in four years.

Laurent Koscielny saw red in the 3-1 victory over Everton in the Premier League last weekend and consequently is suspended for the clash, while Gabriel Paulista has been ruled out with a knee injury.

As a result, Rob Holding moves out to the right of a back three, with veteran Mertesacker in the middle and Nacho Monreal playing at left-back.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the lineup, having overcome a hamstring strain, and is joined by Hector Bellerin, Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the park.

Danny Welbeck continues to lead the line with support from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, whose futures at the Emirates look set to be tested this summer as they enter the final year of their contracts.

For Premier League champions Chelsea, meanwhile, Antonio Conte makes three changes from the side that claimed a comfortable 5-1 win over relegated Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.

Pedro is preferred to Willian in the front line alongside Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, while Nemanja Matic usurps Cesc Fabregas in midfield, joining up with Victor Moses, N'Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso.

Retiring captain John Terry is named among the substitutes for his final game with the Blues, with Gary Cahill taking his place in the back three alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz. Thibaut Courtois retains his place between the sticks.

Arsenal: Ospina; Holding, Mertesacker, Monreal; Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alexis, Ozil; Welbeck Subs: Cech, Elneny, Coquelin, Iwobi, Lucas, Walcott, Giroud

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard Subs: Begovic, Zouma, Ake, Terry, Fabregas, Willian, Batshuayi

Follow every minute of the action from Wembley this evening with Sports Mole's live text commentary here.