Arsenal v Newcastle: FA Cup third round – live!

Newcastle: It’s quite a gung-ho line-up from Steve Bruce, who starts with a classic … er, Big Man-Big Man partnership of Andy Carroll and Joelinton up front.

Having been passed fit by the doctors after recovering from a bad dose of Covid-19, Jamaal Lascelles is back in the side and will wear the captain’s armband.

Arsenal: There’s no place for Runar Runarsson in goal for Arsernal, following the error he made when given a chance against Manchester City in the League Cup. He’s on the bench, with Bernd Leno starting between the sticks.

Mikel Arteta does make seven changes, affording some of the senior players who have let him so down badly this season an opportunity to redeem themselves, while giving other fringe players a run-out.

Cedric and David Luiz start in defence, while Mohamed Elneny and Joe Willock are in the centre of midfield. Willian, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, and Gabriel Martinelli also come in.

Arsenal: Leno, Cedric, Luiz, Mari, Tierney, Elneny, Willock, Pepe, Willian, Martinelli, Aubameyang.

Subs: Runarsson, Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Saka, Nelson, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Lacazette.

Newcastle: Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett. Hayden, S Longstaff, Hendrick, Almiron, Joelinton, Carroll.

Subs: Gillespie, M Longstaff, Ritchie, Gayle, Yedlin, Murphy, Anderson.

Referee Chris Kavanagh
Assistant Referees Dan Cook and Sian Massey-Ellis
Fourth Official Gavin Ward
VAR Andre Marriner

Allan Saint-Maximin (Covid), Jamal Lewis (knee) and Ryan Fraser (groin) remain sidelined for Newcastle, while Jamaal Lascelles is in line for a recall as he recovers from the delilitating effects of the Covid-19 virus, which has kept him out since November.

For Arsenal, Gabriel will miss out after testing positive for Covid, but Thomas Partey is expected to return from his latest injury set-back.

Alex Runarsson, Cedric Soares, Ainsley Maitlanbd-Niles and Joe Willock are among a host of reserves and fringe players who could get a run out this evening.

Holders Arsenal begin their defence of the FA Cup with what, on paper at least, looks like a reasonably straightforward home tie against a woefully out-of-sorts Newcastle.

In 15th place in the Premier League and on the slide, Newcastle are expected to make what are known in football parlance as “wholesale changes”, while it would be no surprise to see Mikel Arteta give some fringe players a run-out this evening.

Kick-off at the Emirates Stadium is at 5.30pm (GMT) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.