Arsenal have handed Alexandre Lacazette his Premier League debut for their 2017-18 opener against Leicester City, while Mesut Ozil also starts.
Lacazette plays for the first time in England’s top flight, while Ozil is passed fit to support him alongside Danny Welbeck.
Per Mertesacker is out after suffering a head injury in the Community Shield win over Chelsea, with Sead Kolasinac replacing him.
Aaron Ramsey and Shkodran Mustafi are deemed fit enough for places on a substitutes’ bench that also contains Olivier Giroud.
Leicester, meanwhile, start with Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki up-front, meaning new signing Kelechi Iheanacho is among the subs.
Riyad Mahrez also plays despite being the subject of transfer speculation throughout the off-season, while Matty James starts his first game since May 2015.
It’s time… for the first time this @premierleague season, here’s our team #AFCvLCFC pic.twitter.com/JRbPWYQKTo
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 11, 2017
Tonight’s starting XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan (c), Maguire, Fuchs, Mahrez, Ndidi, James, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy. #ArsLei pic.twitter.com/rAfAVkDNED
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 11, 2017
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