English Premier League: Arsenal vs Leicester City team news and starting XI

Three at the back looks like being Arsenal's new pathway to victory with Arsene Wenger expected to go with the same formation for a third consecutive match, as the Gunners host champions Leicester City in the English Premier League on Wednesday.

After Wenger named a back three for the first time in 20 years in a Monday night fixture against Middlesbrough last week, many expected the Frenchman to revert to the tried and tested back four for the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City.

However, Wenger went with the same lineup that beat Middlesbrough 2-1, and he was rewarded as Arsenal got the better of Pep Guardiola's side to book their place in the FA Cup final.

Now, with the focus back on the Premier League, Wenger will hope the tweak in formation leads to more points.

Arsenal need all three of them from each of their seven remaining matches if they are to somehow finish in the top four of the Premier League.

Wenger, speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, said he will know how the players have recovered from their extra time exertions against City only later in the day, with the Arsenal manager hopeful everyone will come out okay and ready to feature against Leicester.

"It's basically unknown territory at the moment because yesterday [Monday] the players were on recovery," Wenger said. "We will have a medical check today [Tuesday] for everybody and see who is available and who is not.

"Overall, we have nobody really injured after the game."

There was a big worry that one of the key players – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was the man of the match in the FA Cup semifinal – had picked up a serious injury, after the midfielder was seen leaving Wembley on crutches.

However, Wenger was quick to diffuse any worries over the Englishman's fitness. "It was more precautionary, it was not for a bad injury," Wenger revealed. "We will test him. It's a foot injury but it's a kick."

If Oxlade-Chamberlain is given the go-ahead, then the 23-year-old is expected to be named as the right wing-back again, after excelling in that position over the last couple of games. If Oxlade-Chamberlain isn't fit, though, to face Leicester, Wenger does have a pretty good replacement in Hector Bellerin, who is Arsenal's first-choice right-back in a flat back four.

Lucas Perez, Shkodran Mustafi, David Ospina, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Santi Cazorla will not feature.

Leicester's season is pretty much over after they were eliminated from the quarterfinals of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid last week.

With their Premier League safety pretty much secured and no chance of vying for a place in Europe, the remaining six games for Leicester will pretty much be about trying to finish as high as possible in the table and building momentum for next season.

Craig Shakespeare, who has done an excellent job since taking over from Claudio Ranieri, revealed that midfielder Nampalys Mendy is out for the rest of the season, after the midfielder underwent surgery on his ankle.

Captain Wes Morgan will miss the Arsenal match with a hamstring problem, while striker Islam Slimani is also out with a groin injury.

Expected starting XI:

Arsenal: Petr Cech; Gabriel, Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, Nacho Monreal; Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez; Danny Welbeck.

 

Leicester City: Kasper Schmeichel; Danny Simpson, Yohan Benalouane, Robert Huth, Christian Fuchs; Riyad Mahrez, Wilfred Ndidi, Danny Drinkwater, Marc Albrighton; Shinji Okazaki, Jamie Vardy.

 Relive the Welbeck winner in the corresponding fixture last season