Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott return to the Arsenal first team for their trip to Reading, who currently sit bottom of the Premier League table.

Arsene Wenger’s men will be looking to bounce back from the shock defeat to Bradford City in the Capital One Cup, with a win over the Brian McDermott’s struggling side.

The last encounter between these two teams in the League Cup saw the Royals go four goals ahead within half an hour, before the Gunner’s recovered and won the game 7-5 in extra time.

The north London side have made several changes to the side, with Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott and Mikel Arteta coming in for Gervinho, Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin.

The recently promoted side have only won one game this season, and will be looking to bounce back from their recent 3-0 defeat to Sunderland, and lift themselves off the foot of the table. Pavel Pogrebnyak, Jimmy Kebe and Kaspar Gorkss have all come into the team to replace Adam Le Fondre, Gareth McCleary and Alex Pearce.

Reading starting XI: Federici; Cummings, Shorey, Gorkss, Mariappa; Leigertwood, Tabb, Kebe, McAnuff; Hunt, Pogrebnyak

Subs: Taylor, Gunter, Harte, Pearce, McCleary, Robson-Kanu, Le Fondre

Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Podolski

Subs: Mannone, Koscielny, Coquelin, Ramsey, Rosicky, Giroud, Gervinho