It is a match which we have to think of as a must-win game. Although we're ahead of Panathinaikos it's only by one point (see table) and so a draw for us would leave them the possibility of pipping us for second place by winning at home to PSV. The good news with regard to that fixture is that PSV need at least a point in order to guarantee themselves top spot in the group, and that a draw for PSV would definitely put us through in second. We are in the happy situation of having better head-to-head results against both the teams we're competing with for places, so equalling either of their points tallies would be enough.

Replacing Vieira as captain is easier than replacing him as a midfielder. With Edu and Gilberto both out, it seems likely that Flamini will play alongside Cesc. Although the young Frenchman has not played very much for us, he does have good European experience having played in the UEFA cup last season. There are alternatives, however, such as moving Pires into the middle with Freddie and Reyes on the wings, or possibly the more defensively-mided Clichy on the left. Moving Lauren into midfield would have been another plausible option, but he's suspended too. Justin Hoyte is favourite to step in at right-back. Pascal Cygan has been missing through injury and although he's expected back soon a start in a big game like this is likely to be considered too soon, and in any case Wenger has shown that he prefers if possible to keep Toure at centre-back rather than move him to the right.

Van Persie, Bergkamp, and Pennant all missed the Birmingham game through injury and may not be available. So we're down to the bare bones: we can expect to see another very young subs bench tomorrow.

The remaining question is of course the keeper's spot. Almunia didn't exactly cover himself with glory on Saturday, with some woeful kicking and one howler that almost led to an equaliser. A lot of pundits have been saying they expect Lehmann to be brought back in, but apparently Bob Wilson has said (and he ought to know more than most pundits about Arsenal's keeper strategies) that he thinks Jens will be on the bench again, and that Wenger would have played him on Saturday if he was thinking of doing so tomorrow.

Update, Monday afternoon: according to sky sports, Wenger has said that Flamini and Hoyte will start, but is still undecided about the keeper situation.

Also, word has it that Bergkamp is fit again and could be returning to the attack alongside Henry. His style of play, dropping deep and central more than Reyes, could be just what we need to help bolster the midfield.

As for the visitors, Eirik Helleve sends an update from Norway:

"In a previous preview I mentioned that Tuesday's game at Highbury would be Ola By Rise's last as a Rosenborg manager. It turns out that I was wrong - the club gave him the sack some weeks ago. His assistant, Per Joar Hansen, will be the club's mangaer until the end of 2005, with several assistant managers, among them the Rosenborg legend Nils Arne Eggen. It is widely assumed that Hansen will be manager for one year only, and that Trond Sollied, a former Rosenborg coach currently in charge of Brügge (in Belgium), will return to Norway to take over."

"The club has a lot of injuries, and their form has been poor lately. In the Royal League, a new Scandinavian tournament, they have only four points from their three first games, despite being the favourites to win the entire tournament. At least two of their first-choice defenders will be out (Basma at right-back and Riseth in central defence), and their best player, the midfielder Ørjan Berg, is still out. During this year's season the club has said at several occasions that they want their attacking football to resemble Arsenal's, but the only Arsenal-like action of last week was that they dropped their first-choice goalkeeper, Espen Johnsen, in favour of Ivar Rønningen."

"Given that Rosenborg have absolutely nothing to play for, and given their tradition of being hammered in at least one away game in the CL, I do expect Arsenal to win by at least three or four goals. If they want to."

Let's hope you're right Eirik!