Watch Arsenal vs Newcastle on Monday Night Football from 7pm on Sky Sports Premier League; Kick-off is at 8pm
Monday 1 April 2019 18:47, UK
Arsenal are hoping to register a 10th successive home league victory against Newcastle on Monday Night Football.
Victory for Arsenal would equal a run they last enjoyed in the 1997-98 season in Arsene Wenger's first full campaign as manager.
Granit Xhaka will be handed a late fitness test before the visit of Newcastle to the Emirates Stadium on Monday. Lucas Torreira is suspended, but Aaron Ramsey and Dinos Mavropanos are both expected to be passed fit.
"We trained (on Friday) morning and some players were rested to give them one day more before training with us (on Saturday)," said Unai Emery.
"That's Aaron Ramsey, Dinos Mavropanos. But they can be okay and ready for Monday.
"Xhaka also rested and we are going to wait for (Saturday) and Sunday. But the first previews from the doctor's analysis is that they can be okay to play on Monday."
Newcastle will continue their quest for the remaining points they need - they currently sit in 13th place on 35, seven clear of the drop zone - at Arsenal on Monday evening.
They will do so without central defender Fabian Schar, who is suspended after reaching 10 bookings for the season.
However, the Switzerland international is unlikely to have been able to play anyway after being knocked unconscious during his country's 2-0 Euro 2020 qualifying victory in Georgia last Saturday.
Schar was allowed to complete the game despite losing consciousness, sparking concern over his welfare, although Rafael Benitez was relaxed about the incident.
He said: "We take these things very, very seriously and we tried to do as we have to do. He had the test after over there and then he had another test over here and then we try to be sure that he is fine, and it's okay, so I will not create something really important for that."
Arsenal will be without the suspended Lucas Torreira when they host Newcastle in the Premier League on Monday.
Aaron Ramsey is expected to be passed fit, having been troubled by his left thigh, as is Nacho Monreal, who has returned to training after hurting his right calf.
Granit Xhaka also faces a late fitness test on a muscle injury but striker Danny Welbeck is out with an ankle injury, while knee issues continue to sideline Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding.
Schar will miss out through suspension. The central defender completes the second leg of a two-match ban after reaching 10 bookings for the season, but would almost certainly have sat out anyway after being knocked unconscious in a clash of heads during Switzerland's 2-0 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Georgia last Saturday.
Skipper Jamaal Lascelles has recovered from the knee problem which kept him out of the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth last time out, leaving only Sean Longstaff (knee) on the sidelines.
Newcastle are a dangerous side; they've been really good recently, are hard to beat and have a couple of match-winners in their team. But these are the kind of matches Arsenal finish off. If Liverpool had Arsenal's remaining fixtures they would win the league, but you just know that Arsenal won't win all of these games and that's why they are not a shoo-in for the top four.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1
