Mikel Arteta's big week for Arsenal has started well. Beating Manchester City on Sunday was a cathartic entrance to a February which is set to define his side's season.

The end of the transfer window came and went with less noise and action in reality, even if there was a hustle and a bustle to the news cycle around the club. Now the attention turns to trying to overcome a tricky 2-0 deficit in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Travelling away to Newcastle United, Arsenal have handed their opponents an immediate advantage after falling below par at the Emirates Stadium, missing a host of chances during a period - whereby the ball simply refused to go in. Up at St. James' Park, excuses will not do.

READ MORE: Arsenal guaranteed to be without five players for Newcastle Carabao Cup clash

READ MORE: Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus drops injury update days after Ollie Watkins transfer decision

Arteta knows that a failure to progress will leave him with the Champions League as the most obvious route to silverware this season as the Premier League remains a touch out of distance with Liverpool marching on keenly. Fortunately for Arteta, there was no panic over a lack of activity in the January transfer window.

His first-team squad is as it was. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are still out and unreplaced. At the back there is no immediate return date for Takehiro Tomiyasu, although Ben White is set to be back before too long.

"No news from the game against City and Ben is still out. Hopefully after the break he will be available," Arteta said heading into the second leg. It leaves Arteta with the same group that he had on Sunday afternoon.

The boost is that after a series of substitute outings, Ethan Nwaneri looks fit to start. His injury may well render him like a new signing, even after just a matter of weeks out through injury.

As Myles Lewis-Skelly continues to improve, he too is a different player to the one which started the season. In a sense, Arteta may well have two extra players available for deployment which he simply didn't in this way back in August.

Given those who are still absent, it is timely for the pair of Hale End graduates to show their quality. The rest of the squad expected to go up to the north east is as expected, with Arteta not possessing the room for manoeuvre. Goalkeeper Neto is cup-tied, so will have to sit this one out, while academy shot-stopper Jack Porter comes in as back-up to David Raya between the posts.

Here, football.london predicts the 20-man squad Arteta will name on Wednesday night;

Goalkeepers: David Raya, Jack Porter

Defenders: Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Jakub Kiwior, Kieran Tierney, Riccardo Calafiori

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey, Jorginho, Ethan Nwaneri

Attackers: Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli