Team News: Gabriel, Ben White start for Arsenal against Newcastle United

Gabriel went down with an apparent muscular problem in the North London derby defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, raising concerns over his availability for the run-in.

White would have been a natural replacement for the Brazilian, but Mikel Arteta opted against risking his other centre-back, who had only just returned from a hamstring problem.

However, the duo have both been passed fit to start at St James' Park, as Rob Holding serves his one-game suspension for his sending off in the derby defeat.

Newcastle-linked goalkeeper Bernd Leno unsurprisingly takes his place on the Arsenal bench, with Aaron Ramsdale acting as the last line of defence once again.

Takehiro Tomiyasu gets the nod over Cedric Soares at right-back for the Gunners, and Arteta has placed his faith in Nuno Tavares to start on the left-hand side.

Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka form the midfield pairing for Arsenal, whose youthful bench options include Charlie Patino and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Gabriel Martinelli was not moving entirely comfortably at the end of the Tottenham loss, so Emile Smith Rowe comes in to join Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah in the final third.

Arsenal starting lineup: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tavares; Elneny, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Nketiah

Subs: Leno, Cedric, Swanson, Oulad M'Hand, Patino, Lokonga, Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette

Meanwhile, the big news from the Newcastle camp centres around Callum Wilson, who has been passed fit to start a Premier League game for the first time in 2022 as the Magpies' focal point.

However, there is no sign at all of Chris Wood, with his absence so far unexplained, as Eddie Howe welcomes Ryan Fraser and Dwight Gayle to the substitutes bench.

Jamaal Lascelles has also dropped out of the Newcastle backline to make room for Fabian Schar, but Kieran Trippier is only considered for a spot among the replacements.

Emil Krafth, Matt Targett and Dan Burn complete the Magpies defence ahead of Martin Dubravka, with Federico Fernandez also fit enough to sit in the dugout.

Ex-Arsenal man Joe Willock misses out due to injury, so an unchanged midfield sees Joelinton, Sean Longstaff and former Gunners transfer target Bruno Guimaraes take their spots.

Miguel Almiron may fancy his chances against the shaky Tavares, as Allan Saint-Maximin aims to wreak havoc on the opposite flank for Newcastle.

Arsenal would rise above Tottenham with all three points at St James' Park, while Newcastle are aiming to leapfrog Aston Villa and Crystal Palace into 12th place.

Newcastle starting lineup: Dubravka; Krafth, Schar, Burn, Targett; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin

Subs: Darlow, Dummett, Lascelles, Ritchie, Trippier, Fernandez, Fraser, Murphy, Gayle