Arsenal vs. Man City confirmed lineups: Huge Eze, Dias news, Havertz, Cherki decisions made for EFL Cup final

Arsenal's Eberechi Eze has not been included in Mikel Arteta's squad for this afternoon's EFL Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

The 27-year-old has Eze was substituted during the Gunners' 2-0 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen in midweek after sustaining a knock and he has not recovered in time to feature against the Citizens.

Captain Martin Odegaard and defender Jurrien Timber have also lost their quests to be fit for the final, with Arteta making just the two changes from the side that beat Leverkusen.

Kai Havertz comes in for Eze and is set to operate in midfield alongside Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga takes the place of David Raya between the sticks.

In the absence of Timber, Ben White will start at right-back, joining William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Piero Hincapie in the four-man defence.

Bukayo Saka will lead the Gunners as captain and will begin on the right side of a front three next to central striker Viktor Gyokeres and left-flanker Leandro Trossard.

Dias ruled out, Ake, O'Reilly, Semenyo, Trafford all recalled to Man City XI

As for Man City, manager Pep Guardiola has made a total of four changes to the side that began their 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.

Defender Ruben Dias has been ruled out with a reported hamstring injury, so Nathan Ake takes his place at centre-back, partnering Abdukodir Khusanov, while Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly will begin as full-backs, the latter recalled to replace Rayan Ait-Nouri.

As expected, James Trafford will start in goal at the expense of Gianluigi Donnarumma; the Englishman has started all five EFL Cup games for City prior to today's showpiece, keeping three clean sheets and conceding just two goals.

Captain Bernardo Silva and Rodri will link arms in midfield, with playmaker Rayan Cherki - who played the full 90 minutes in midweek - set to operate in the No.10 position in between the returning Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku.

Erling Haaland, who is searching for his first Wembley goal in a Sky Blue shirt at the seventh time of asking, will lead the line.

Tijjani Reijnders has dropped out of Guardiola's XI from midweek and is joined on the bench by the likes of Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush, Savinho, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones.

Arsenal starting lineup: Kepa; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Zubimendi, Havertz; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Subs: Raya, Mosquera, Jesus, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman

Manchester City starting lineup: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly; Rodri, Bernardo; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland

Subs: Donnarumma, Reijnders, Stones, Marmoush, Kovacic, Gonzalez, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden