Arsenal will be hoping to cement their position at the top of their UEFA Europa League group on Thursday when they visit a struggling Cologne side.The Gunners have two matches remaining in Group H and have a five-point advantage over Red Star Belgrade in second spot. A point would effectively be enough for them to secure progression as group winners, though Cologne need three points to realistically keep their chances of making it into the knockout stages alive.Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will most likely rotate his side for the clash as he has done for the other matches in the competition.Here is the latest team news, the key viewing details and a preview of what has the potential to be a decisive game for both sides in Group H.Team NewsCologne: Manager Peter Stoger has a number of injury issues to contend with as Jonas Hector, Simon Zoller and Dominique Heintz all poised to miss the game. Marco Hoger, Marcel Risse, Christian Clemens and Nikolas Nartey are all doubts.Likely XI: Timo Horn; Lukas Klunter, Frederik Sorensen, Dominic Maroh, Konstantin Rausch; Christian Clemens, Matthias Lehman, Salih Ozcan, Leonardo Bittencourt; Sehrou Guirassy, Jhon CordobaArsenal: Gunners fans will be hoping to see Jack Wilshere involved from the start, while Olivier Giroud is set to be in contention again after missing the north London derby.Likely XI: Matt Macey; Mathieu Debuchy, Mohamed Elneny, Rob Holding; Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Francis Coquelin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Jack Wilshere, Olivier Giroud, Theo WalcottTeam news courtesy of Transfermarkt.Date: Thursday, November 23Time: 6 p.m. (GMT)/1 p.m. (ET)TV Info: BT Sport (UK), FOX Sports 1 (US)Live Stream: BT Sport website (UK), FOX Sports Go (US)PreviewAlthough they may be bottom of their Europa League group, the competition has provided some light relief for Cologne so far this season.That's because things have been even worse for the Bundesliga side in their domestic league, with 10 defeats and two draws from their 12 games so far. It would be fair to say Arsenal are heading to the RheinEnergie Stadion at the right time based on the home side's torrid form.Still, as relayed by The Sportsman, the Arsenal players and fans should probably expect a hostile welcome:The Gunners will be confident they can tame any atmosphere, though, even with what promises to be a second-string squad on show.Although the competition is no replacement for the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal supporters have looked forward to these games this season. Not only have youngsters like Nelson and Willock shone when they've been handed their chances, some fringe players have also taken up the challenge.None more so than Wilshere, who has used these games to build up fitness and edge closer to a full return to Premier League action.In the recent win over Red Star Belgrade, the England international was part of a wonderful team goal scored by the Gunners late on to win the clash. Journalist Philippe Auclair praised Wilshere's contribution:It's in these types of matchesaway from home in a potentially volatile atmospherewhen the likes of Wilshere will be tasked with getting on the ball and prising open the opposition. And with the worst defence in the Bundesliga to go at, they should have some joy.Should they feature, Giroud and Walcott, blessed with power and pace, respectively, should also cause problems aplenty. The Gunners back three may be a little vulnerable if Cologne can use the ball smartly, but confidence is at such a low, it's tough to see the home team giving Arsenal too many issues.Prediction: Cologne 0-2 ArsenalRead more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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