Pre-Match chat, and some other stuff.

So, the day after we get the news that we are to face Celtic in the champions league qualifiers, we play a far better european team in a friendly. Pretty good preparation. I think Wenger is likely to play 10 if not 11 of the starting line up he'll choose a week from today at Goodison Park. Then the lads will get a weeks rest, and BAM! straight into the premiership with a win away at Everton. Therefore my predicted starting XI is:

Almunia

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy

Song Denilson

Fabregas(c)

Bendtner v.Persie Arshavin

I hope Vermaelen has regained fitness, if not Djourou will cover. Rosicky obviously has picked up the standard return-from-lengthy-injury-hamstring-pull, and will be out for up to 6 weeks. Although it is not unexpected that Rosicky has such a niggle, I am still slightly wary, as this is what Arsenal told us that Rosicky had last time he got injured. And we know how that turned out. Walcott may play instead of Bendtner if the boss thinks that he's had enough training time since he came back from his prolonged holiday. As far as a prediction goes: despite this friendly being organised so cash-strapped Valencia can rake in a great deal of income (they played ManUre at home on wednesday aswell), Valencia will still give a tough battle and it'll be close. But I'll plump for a 1-0 win to the Gunners.

Elsewhere, it looks like Fran Merida will spend a year on loan to Spanish Valencia-based second division side Levante. If this is true, it is the most unbelievably pointless loan move possibly ever. It would have been far better for Merida's development should he play for a lower premier division club. We know now that he is premier league standard. Plus, the English league and the Spanish leagues have very different styles of play. How is someone meant to adapt to one league if, during a critical stage in his development, he's shipped out on loan to another league. Two years ago, Merida was loaned out to Real Sociedad (of the Spanish second division) for half a season. Are we really saying that in two years Merida hasn't progressed at all? I hope that this is just Sky Sports getting the wrong end of the stick, and Merida is in fact only in Valencia for the friendly today, and in a few days time it turns out he's signed a year long-loan at Birmingham.

In other loan news, Nordtveit has been loaned out to FC Nurnburg, but we've known that for a while, and it doesn't look like Traore is going on loan...yet.

Right, only a short one at the mo, but I'll be back after the match.
'Til then.