In a few hours' time, Arsenal play their penultimate Premier League fixture before the November international break as a tough encounter with Newcastle United away from home awaits.

Ideally, Mikel Arteta would have a full-strength squad to select from against a Magpies side who have only lost once at home in the Premier League so far this season. However, Gabriel Jesus (hamstring), Thomas Partey (thigh), Emile Smith Rowe (hamstring) and Jurrien Timber (ACL) are the four senior players who are definitely unavailable for the trip to St James' Park.

Whether those absences mean a chance for one of the academy players to earn a call-up to the matchday squad remains to be seen. Whatever the scenario is, there are plenty of discussion points surrounding Arsenal ahead of their clash against Newcastle and football.london has gone through them below.

Tomiyasu decision

There's a strong case for Takehiro Tomiyasu to get a lengthy run in the Arsenal side. Voted by supporters as the Player of the Month for October, the versatile defender is certainly showing signs of the form he displayed when he first signed for the club back in the summer of 2021.

Of course, injuries, and admittedly a loss of confidence, have ultimately denied him the opportunity of regular game time over the past 18 months. But recent performances against Chelsea and Sevilla prompted suggestions that Arteta had discovered his latest 'undroppable' - a player who when fit and available for selection is named in the strongest starting XI week-in, week-out.

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As proven against Sheffield United and West Ham United in the past week, that view is not entirely accurate. Though what's clear is games where the Gunners need extra defensive security Tomiyasu has to get the nod and today's offers Arteta to make a popular decision at left-back.

Havertz U-turn

"I'm not going to talk about any individual. We are a team when we play the best and when we don’t perform I am the person with maximum responsibility. We all need to try to improve every single day."

This was Arteta's response during Friday's pre-match press conference when asked by reporters if he's concerned about the form of Kai Havertz. In truth, this is exactly the type of answer we've come to expect from the Arsenal manager as he's one to protect his players in public.

Having said that, he has a dilemma with his £65million summer signing ahead of the Newcastle clash. Particularly, what role will the German international have? In the Gunners' games against the so-called bigger teams in the Premier League so far this season, Havertz's only start was the 3-1 win over Manchester United and he struggled.

Since then he's been used as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and former club Chelsea - making an impact in the latter two - so it will be fascinating to discover if Arteta plans to continue this trend or perform a U-turn with a huge show of faith.

As a physical battle in midfield is expected against Newcastle, Havertz could get the nod alongside Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaard. Alternatively, he could operate as a centre-forward, which would be harsh on Eddie Nketiah, and his height will be an advantage especially when defending set pieces.

Away form

Pre-October, Arsenal had played four games away from home across three different competitions, winning every single one of them and keeping clean sheets in the process. However, something has changed for the worse in the four games since as their only victory was against Sevilla in the Champions League.

Perhaps worryingly, the Gunners have conceded at least twice in three of their last four away games and are facing a side who have scored in every home game in the Premier League so far. To leave St James' Park with a positive result, the visitors are going to need to recapture some of their early season form on the road.