Report: Arsenal expected to start £45k-a-week player tonight, Mikel Arteta says he’s improved a lot

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Arsenal will be hoping their FA Cup campaign starts more smoothly than 12 months ago when they travel to Oxford United this evening.

A report from the Evening Standard has now shared one player expected to be involved tonight.

Mikel Arteta has plenty of tough decisions to make on who should start against the League One side.

With a huge clash against Tottenham Hotspur to prepare for on Sunday, an injury to any of his key players this evening would be devastating.

One player who is expected to start this evening is Fabio Vieira.

The Portuguese was signed in the summer from Porto for £34m, but has only played a bit-part role so far.

An attacking midfielder, he’s not been helped by the incredible form of club captain Martin Odegaard.

However, when given his chance, Vieira has always looked exciting.

The cup competitions are going to be his most likely avenue for regular minutes this campaign, given how well Arsenal are doing in the league.

He could line up alongside Emile Smith Rowe tonight, who finally looks to be back from a groin injury that was plagued him for months.

Vieira expected to start for Arsenal tonight

The Evening Standard asked Arteta about the young playmaker, and he said: “He is in a much better place.

“I think physically he has reached the level now where he can compete at the standards that we want.

“His understanding of what we want to do is much, much better and now it is my role to give him the right minutes in the right position, in the right environment, to fulfil his potential. But I am really happy with him.

“We all obviously try to give him all the possibilities that he requires [to settle in a new country]. Then you have to leave the player as well, to feel and settle where he has his place in the squad.

“It is very clear, he is very close with a few players. They have been really supportive of him and he looks happy. I think he would like to play more minutes, but in general he looks really happy and he has adapted well to the team.”

The £45,000-a-week attacking midfielder has played nine times in the league, but all-but-one of those appearances have come from the bench.

He scored a wonderful goal against Brentford in his only Premier League start.

Paul Merson said it was ‘worrying’ that when the Gunners still needed a goal against Newcastle, they didn’t bring him on.

However, in a game that was getting heated and very physically, Vieira made not have been the right choice.

Vieira is now expected to start against Oxford to show he can make a difference in those types of games.

A trip to Manchester City in the next round is the reward for this evening’s winner.