Jose Antonio Reyes, Robin van Persie, Pascal Cygan, Philippe Senderos and Mathieu Flamini are all there, but it'd be very surprising if they all played. But we can expect to see Emmanuel Eboue, Quincy, Arturo Lupoli and Sebastian Larsson. I'd like to see Larsson at left back just to see if that's an option, with Eboue on the other flank at the back and maybe Cygan and Senderos in the middle (Wenger seems less inclined to experiment in this position).

Many Arsenal eyes will be on Fabrice Muamba too, who many observers say is looking a more likely bet that Alex Song in midfield. Song's presence will depend on whether he's considered to have recoever sufficiently from the knee injury picked up against Thun last week.

High-flying Reading (4 points clear at the top of the table and 23 matches unbeaten) are also expected to make some changes, since boss Steve Coppell is understandably more focussed on other things this season. Loaned-out Arsenal keeper Graham Stack (who we don't ever expect back at the club following his comments earlier in the season) is allowed and expected to play, and John Oster and Stephen Hunt will probably come in in midfield. Brynjar Gunnarsson is said to be over a groin injury but probably not enough to be risked yet. The strike pairing is likely to be Leroy Lita and Dave Kitson. Kevin Doyle is said to be fit to play despite breaking a bone in his hand last weekend.

As well as Stack, Reading have 2 more former Gunners in Steve Sidwell and James Harper. Sidwell says he had a feeling Reading would draw Arsenal, and he's glad it's not at home so he gets to play at Highbury one last time. See this interview ("I still love the club. Wenger told me that I should go out and show people what I could do. That’s what I've done.") and this one too ("People say this is about going back and proving points but to me it's about going back and soaking up an atmosphere. ", "Mr Wenger said he didn't want me to leave, there was a new contract for me, but he couldn't guarantee first-team football"). Apparently, Wenger told Sidwell we might buy him back one day. Even though Sidwell was voted best player outside the Premiership last season, he'd be well advised not to hold his breath. Steve Coppell, on the crappy registration-only Reading site, says "It's a game we can cherish, but not a game we can relish."

This is probably the best bet for an upset (unless you'd count Villa losing at Doncaster or Birmingham at Millwall in that category). But van Persie is expected to play, having only come on for the last few minutes against Blackburn on Saturday. And he's on fire.