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Europa League final combined XI: Hazard leads line-up with 6 Arsenal players in

  /  autty

Arsenal and Chelsea are preparing to do battle in Wednesday night's Europa League final in Baku.

Both Premier League sides have been left short-handed for the game after a spate of frustrating injuries.

Maurizio Sarri will have to do without the likes of N'Golo Kante, Antonio Rudiger and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Unai Emery is set to be without Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey for the trip to Azerbaijan, too.

With that in mind, we've taken a look at the best of who's left - and picked our somewhat weakened Europa League final combined XI.

GOALKEEPER

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Emery has the toughest decisions of the two bosses: Go with the head and pick Bernd Leno or opt for the heart and select Petr Cech.

Of course, Wednesday could be Cech's last-ever match - having played for both Arsenal and Chelsea.

However, Leno is the in-form man, it would be heartbreaking for the Czech No1 to miss out.

Despite that, we've got for Kepa between the sticks, as he is unquestionably the best goalkeeper in the best two squads, despite a few errors in his debut season.

DEFENCE

Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Laurent Koscielny, Sead Kolasinac

At right-back, it's an obvious choice, as Chelsea's skipper gets the nod - with Arsenal's only fit, natural man in that position being Carl Jenkinson.

David Luiz and Laurent Koscielny start in the middle with Rudiger not fit to play.

Kolasinac is the best of a bad bunch at left-back, with Nacho Monreal, Marcos Alonso and Emerson all struggling in 2018-19.

MIDFIELD

Jorginho, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi

If both teams were fully fit, the midfield three would be very different, with N'Golo Kante, Aaron Ramsey and Ruben Loftus-Cheek getting our pick.

But it is what it is, with Jorginho holding down the fort in the defensive role he's somehow usurped from Kante.

Torreira has been impressive in his first season at the Emirates, while the tireless Guendouzi will provide the bulk of the running in the midfield trio.

FORWARDS

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Eden Hazard

Easily the strongest part of our strongest XI, there's no doubt Hazard is the first name on the team-sheet, in what could be his final game for the club.

Lacazette and Aubameyang have proven to be a deadly duo this season and can't miss out on this team.

Olivier Giroud, despite his Europa League heroics this season, misses out, along with fellow Chelsea flop Gonzalo Higuain.

FULL XI