Arsene Wenger names starting XI and explains reasons for wholesale changes for Galatasaray game

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has shocked everyone after he named the starting XI for Tuesday's Champions League game against Galatasaray during his press conference on Monday.

The Gunners boss has made a whole host of changes to the team and is set to give chances to various players, who have failed to get regular game time thus far.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud, who is ineligible, have been left behind following a continuous run of games and he has called upon Lukas Podolski, Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo to lead the line.

Wojciech Szczesny has returned to starting lineup and defender Mathieu Debuchy, who has been out since September 13, has also made a return from injury and will start the game in Turkey.

"To make it as simple as possible, I have 11 experienced players and six young players on the bench. That means I have nothing to hide. Debuchy is back with us and will play, Szczesny is back in goal, Mertesacker, Chambers will play because Gibbs did not travel, Bellerin at left-back. Then you have Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Flamini, Podolski, Sanogo and Campbell," Arsene Wenger said, as quoted on Arsenal's official site.

"The players who needed it stayed behind - like Cazorla, Sanchez, Gibbs, Giroud is not qualified and Welbeck, who could have travelled but recently had a little knee problem, so took advantage of that to rest him."

Arsenal have already qualified for the last 16 of the tournament, but still have a chance to top their group, if they beat the Turkish giants and Anderlecht manage to beat Borussia Dortmund in Germany. The manager is putting his trust in the much changed team to deliver a win to give them the best chance for a favourable draw in the next round.

The Frenchman has also named six academy players on the bench - Chuba Akpom, Gedion Zelalem, Glen Kamara, Stefan O'Connor, Alex Iwobi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

The manager explained his reasons for their selection. "Some are closer [to the first team], like Chuba Akpom who you know already. You have Gedion Zelalem who you will certainly already know."

"We have maybe two other players who are now making big strides forward - Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is very good, and Stefan O'Connor, the centre back, who looks very promising in training," the French manager added.