LONDON -- Third-choice Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is set to make a second consecutive start at Crystal Palace on Monday, Arsene Wenger has said.
The Arsenal manager added that centre-back Laurent Koscielny was still out but would return earlier than expected.
Martinez kept a clean sheet in the 3-0 home win over West Ham on Wendesday in his first Premier League start since 2014, and will be called on again with Petr Cech and David Ospina sidelined.
"I don't believe that Cech will be available for Monday night, or Ospina," Wenger told a news conference on Friday.
Martinez, 24, was given a long-term contract extension this season after playing in Arsenal's three EFL Cup games, and Wenger said the West Ham performance showed that he was ready for the Premier League.
"He looked composed, calm. I know personally that he has the quality because I see him every day," the manager added.
"I was not surprised by the quality of his game."
Koscielny has been out since coming off at half-time in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester City with an Achilles problem.
Wenger had previously warned that Koscielny could be out for weeks, but said that "it will be shorter than expected" after a scan showed there was no serious damage and "it was not a tendon problem."
Francis Coquelin is also back for Arsenal after missing the West Ham game because of what Wenger called "a family problem."
However, the Arsenal boss hinted he could stick to a central midfield partnership of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny after praising the duo's performance against West Ham.
"The speed of our passing [was there] in the heart of the game," he said. "It is not only the quality of the passing but the speed of our passing that is needed for the way we want to play, because we have quick strikers so it's important that we feed them quickly.
"On that front, the quality, the speed of the decision making becomes very important."
Wenger warned his players to be wary of Palace, whose recent improvement in form included a shock win at leaders Chelsea.
"The win of Crystal Palace at Chelsea is in the continuity of what we have seen in the Premier League since the start of the season -- surprising results because the difference between the teams has become shorter and smaller, so anything can happen in any game," he said.
"We know we have to play at our best to win."