Recent recruits Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber should likewise feature but Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Elneny are ruled out by knee problems.

Nottingham Forest may hand a debut to former Gunners goalkeeper Matt Turner.

Last season’s top scorer Taiwo Awoniyi is back in training but is struggling to recover from an ankle injury.

Anthony Elanga could make his first Forest appearance after moving from Manchester United for £15m this summer.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 home games against Nottingham Forest in all competitions, winning eight and drawing four, including two 5-0 victories at the Emirates.
• Forest beat Arsenal 1-0 at home last season to seal Premier League survival and are seeking consecutive wins over the Gunners for the first time since September 1978 under Brian Clough.
• Forest’s last away victory against Arsenal was a 3-1 top-flight triumph at Highbury in March 1989.

Arsenal

• Arsenal spent 248 days on top of the Premier League last season, a record for a team that failed to lift the title.
• The north London club earned 26 Premier League victories in 2022-23, equalling the club record for a season, set in 2001-02 and matched in 2003-04.
• The Gunners have lost their opening Premier League game in four of the last six seasons when starting the season at home, winning the other two.
• Mikel Arteta’s side kept just four top-flight clean sheets at home last season, although one came in the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in October.
• Gabriel Martinelli has scored three times in his two home games against Forest in all competitions.

Nottingham Forest

• Nottingham Forest have lost their opening league fixture in each of the past four seasons.
• They have not started a league campaign with an away victory since Kevin Campbell scored in a 1-0 victory over Port Vale in the second tier in 1997-98.
• Forest had the worst away record in the top flight last term, earning just eight points (W1, D5).
• Steve Cooper’s side failed to score in any of their away fixtures against last season’s top four, conceding 16 goals in those matches.
• The Reds’ only win in their last 14 Premier League visits to the capital was 3-1 victory versus Wimbledon in March 1999.