Kai Havertz will start for the first time in almost a year in the UEFA Champions League match against Kairat Almaty at the Emirates Stadium.

Our German attacker last started in February 2025 in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle, but has made three substitute appearances this season against Manchester United, Chelsea and Portsmouth.

Ben White will wear an armband tonight as one of 11 changes made by Mikel Arteta.

Kepa Arrizabalaga started the first match of the Champions League. Cristian Mosquera, Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ricardo Calafioli, who has not featured since picking up an injury in the warm-up before playing against Brighton last month, join Benn in the backline.

Christian Norgaard joins the midfield, joined by Kai and Eberechi Eze. Noni Maduez, Victor Goqueres and Gabriel Martinelli, who has scored five goals in six Champions League appearances, complete the line-up for the final league match.

There are four Academy products on the bench. Midfielder Ife Ibrahim, winger Brando Bailey-Joseph, goalkeeper Jack Porter and defender Marli Salmon are among the substitutes. They will be joined by Tommy Thetford, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie, Martin Zvimendi, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus.

As for the visiting team, Kairat made two changes from the loss against Club Brugge, with Adilet Sadibekov replacing Damir Kasabrat in midfield, Aleksandr Shirobokov lined up in the back three, and attacker Valery Gromyko dropped to the bench.

Lineup

Arsenal: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Calafioli, Luis Skelly, Norgaard, Eze, Havertz, Madueque, Martinelli, Goqueres

Substitute: Thetford, Porter, Gabriel, Salmon, Hincapie, Zvimendi, Ibrahim, Odegaard, Bailey-Joseph, Saka, Trossard, Jesus.

Kairat: Anerbekov. Shirobokov, Martinovich, Sorokin. Taparov, Glaser, Sadybekov, Mata. Murinsky, Edmilson, Monteiro.

Alternative: Buch, Karmurza, Casabrat, Kurgin, Stanojev, Gromyko, Baghdad, Ricardinho.

Read the full preview of the match against the Kazakhstan Premier League Champions below!