Arsenal face a tough trip to Portugal on Thursday when they play Sporting in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16, so let’s take a look at the latest team news.
The Gunners come into this match on the back of a dramatic and hugely important win over Bournemouth on Saturday. They will want to make a good start to the tie and ensure that the return leg at the Emirates becomes easier.
As for the team news, there is some bad news for the north Londoners to deal with. Both Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard are likely to miss the game and that is a big blow. Mikel Arteta would have to come up with another solution to deal with this and it could result in Gabriel Martinelli starting.
Gabriel Jesus is back in training, but is unlikely to feature in midweek. Reiss Nelson who scored the winner on Saturday could see himself starting this game. There could be further changes made to the team with a possible debut for Jakub Kiwior. Rotation is key because of the frequency with which the matches will come in the next few weeks.
Arsenal Fever View:
The Gunners have a chance to win another trophy and that should be motivation for the players to do well. Despite a changed team, the visitors would look to impose themselves and start with intensity.
The likes of Bukayo Saka and Nelson need to use their pace to get behind the Sporting defence. At the same time, they need to be wary of the threat the Portuguese giants possess on the counter. With Arteta liking a high line, it is imperative that these chances are not given as easy goals can be conceded.
Not having a striker will have an impact on the way the north Londoners play as they need to have a focal point. But with the right kind of flexibility and rotation, they can get players into the right positions.
Arsenal find themselves at a crossroads and they need to decide how they will approach this competition. If they can put out a strong team, it will show that they want to win in Europe too. The season holds a lot of promise and there could be another bit of silverware waiting for the Gunners.
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