Arteta needs to find the right balance on Saturday

Part of Mikel Arteta’s job is to manage the resources he has.

The Spaniard has a right to think he can rotate against Championship opposition, Southampton and expect to find himself in an FA Cup semi-final. Some Gooners might expect rotation with a trip to Portugal in midweek, followed by Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Yet two players possibly pencilled in to start at Saint Mary’s, but not in Lisbon, might benefit from a mental rest after heartbreak on Tuesday.

Managing Fatigue and Form

While several Gunners pulled out of international duty, Noorgarrd and Calafiori have had two weeks of carrying the weight of a nation’s anxiety. While it is easier not to be in Denmark and Italy to face the backlash, both might benefit from a few days to rest.

Gyokeres is the opposite; he has just had the best week of his season. After being part of a golden generation attack criticised by the Swedish media during their qualifying group, the striker scored 4 goals in the playoffs.

Should Arsenal take advantage of his newfound confidence by playing him on Saturday, or does the 27-year-old need to be wrapped up in cotton wool for his return to Portugal?

Selection Dilemmas Ahead

That could be the question mark over the entire team. The Carabo Cup Final would have hurt our self-belief. The majority did not show up at Wembley, with the international break meaning they have had to wait two weeks to get that loss out of their system. Bearing in mind, very few have had many minutes since collecting their runner-up medals.

While many will benefit from an unofficial break, the temptation might be to play them back into form at Saint Mary’s.

How, for example, do you manage Saka’s workload in the next week?

The only way he finds his mojo is by playing well, which he could do against Southampton, but then you gamble playing someone who has looked tired recently when you have bigger fish to fry later in the week. Yet do we want the 24-year-old heading to the Portuguese capital low on self-belief?