Arsenal team news: Cedric set for first start of the season vs. Brighton

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Arsenal defender Cedric Soares is set to make his first start of the season today against Brighton & Hove Albion in an early piece of team news for tonight’s League Cup fixture.

According to the Evening Standard, the Portuguese international is in line to make the starting XI in Arsenal’s penultimate fixture before the 2022 FIFA World Cup break, with Takehiro Tomiyasu already en route to Qatar with Ben White set for an evening off.

Despite being a regular for Mikel Arteta last season, Cedric has featured just twice for the Gunners this season, with the former Southampton star coming off the bench in Arsenal’s recent wins against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and FC Zurich in the UEFA Europa League

With 18 months left on his current contract, Cedric could well be considering his future at Arsenal having hardly featured for the club this season. And the Portuguese defender will no doubt be eager to impress against the Seagulls tonight in the League Cup.

The Gunners reached the semi-finals of the competition last season as Arsenal were eliminated by eventual winners Liverpool. And for Cedric, a deep run in the League Cup will be crucial if the 31-year-old is to play more games for the north London side this season.

Indeed, White’s move to right-back with Tomiyasu has been an inspired move from Arteta this campaign. Yet for Cedric, it has all-but removed his influence from the squad as the defender last year made 26 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, which is why the former Saints star must be on his A-game tonight.

Early Arsenal – Brighton team news is massive for Cedric

Arsenal will want to go far in the League Cup once again this season after their exploits in the competition last year, and for Cedric, the defender being handed the start against Brighton is huge for the fullback’s potential future with the north London side.

After all, Cedric is likely to see out his Arsenal contract until 2024, and for the right-back, he will want to prove his worth to Arteta at every possible opportunity, which is what makes tonight’s fixture such a big opportunity for the Portuguese star.