Bukayo Saka will return to the Arsenal starting lineup when they take on Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
Arsenal will aim to inch closer to a spot in the UEFA Champions League final when they lock horns with Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano in the semi-final first leg on Wednesday night. Mikel Arteta has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Kai Havertz is the latest absentee after sustaining a knock in the Premier League clash with Newcastle United this past weekend. The German international accompanies Mikel Merino (foot) in the treatment room, with Jurrien Timber also unavailable for Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
However, Riccardo Calafiori is fit and available to take on Atletico Madrid, with Bukayo Saka also in contention to feature. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta provided brief updates on Havertz, Calafiori, Timber, and Eberechi Eze.
The Arsenal manager said, “Kai is out, and Ebz is ready to go. [Riccardo] is available tomorrow. We don’t know yet [when Timber will be back]. He’s doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment, but we need to get the gears up and be able to do more things before he can compete with us.”
Meanwhile, during his press conference, Arteta also discussed his team’s possible approach towards Wednesday’s clash. He said, “Understanding what is happening at the moment, how they are activated and what makes them tick. We have identified their threats. Tomorrow, we have to be able to test them quickly and not let them pass. And above all, we have to make sure that we go toe-to-toe with them.”
David Raya is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Arsenal lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. The backline will feature Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Piero Hincapie.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in the double pivot, with Martin Odegaard reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka will start as the two wide attackers, with Viktor Gyokeres replacing Kai Havertz as the central striker for the away side.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres
