Arsenal team news as Zinchenko starts and Xhaka not in squad against Southampton

Oleksandr Zinchenko returns to the Arsenal starting line up against Southampton while Granit Xhaka misses out.

The Premier League leaders take on bottom-side Southampton on Friday, hoping to return to winning ways.

The Gunners, who have squandered two-goal leads in each of their last two games, are currently just four points clear of Manchester City at the summit.

Should Arsenal beat Southampton as expected they would be seven points ahead at the top, though Pep Guardiola's side will have two games in hand.

Moreover, the Gunners travel to the Etihad next Wednesday, for a game many have tipped as a title decider.

Indeed, the back-to-back draws against Liverpool and West Ham, on top of City's run of six successive league wins, means Mikel Arteta’s men can now ill afford to drop more points.

Here is the early team news ahead of tonight’s match against Southampton.

Arsenal team news

Zinchenko has recovered from a minor setback to start against Southampton.

The Ukrainian returns after a groin injury that kept him out of the 2-2 draw against West Ham.

Indeed, in his press conference Arteta was coy about whether Zinchenko would start the affair, however it appears the 26-year-old will return to the fold.

However, Xhaka misses out for Arsenal this evening, reportedly through illness. Fabio Vieira starts in place of the Switzerland international.

William Saliba remains out with a back injury, as expected, meaning Rob Holding again partners Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back.

Gabriel Jesus continues up front, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka start out wide.

The full Arsenal team is as follows:

Starting XI: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Odegaard, Vieira, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus.

Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Nelson, Walters