Arsenal have confirmed a reshaped XI for the Champions League visit of Lille, with Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Bruno Guimarães all starting. Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi are both out after ankle injuries in the warm-down to Saturday's 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds United, and Arsenal host Lille at the Emirates Stadium in Tuesday's Champions League league-phase clash.

Arsenal's changes for Lille

The selection call gives Arsenal a different look in attack and midfield, with Gyokeres leading the line, Eze in from the start and Bruno Guimaraes added to the XI. Lewis-Skelly will start for the first time this season in the Champions League at left-back, while Gabriel is also in the side.

Arsenal come into the game with four wins from their last five matches, so the injuries have arrived during a decent run rather than a wobble. Even so, the absences of Hincapie and Zubimendi force Mikel Arteta into changes on a Champions League night that already carries some pressure, with Arsenal 15th in the table on 3 points after one match.

Gyokeres's numbers are steady rather than explosive, with a 6.67 rating across 3 Premier League appearances and 56 minutes, and a 6.49 rating in one Champions League appearance and 73 minutes. Eze has looked brighter in Europe, where he has a 7.1 rating in one Champions League appearance and 66 minutes, and Bruno Guimaraes has started well too, with a 7.08 league rating across 4 Premier League appearances and 159 minutes.

Lille bring their own form

Lille are not arriving as passengers. They have four wins, one draw and one loss across their last five matches, and sit 22nd in the Champions League table on 0 points after one game.

There is a small reunion thread around the fixture as Olivier Giroud returns to a stadium he knew for six seasons, while Foot Mercato also framed Gabriel's meeting with his former club as part of the story. Arsenal's confirmed line-up already tells the bigger story, though, and the important part is straightforward: they have had to react to two ankle injuries and trust a changed XI against a side with something to prove.

The confirmed Arsenal vs Lille lineups now set the tone for Tuesday, and Arsenal will find out quickly whether the reshuffle keeps their European start moving in the right direction.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →