Arsenal had several senior players missing from the opening section of training before Sporting CP, leaving Mikel Arteta with fresh fitness questions ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Arsenal’s open training session before Sporting CP brought fresh attention to team news ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta’s side take a 1-0 lead into the match after Kai Havertz’s late winner in Lisbon, but much of the focus before kick-off is now on player availability.
The players not spotted in the opening section of training included Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber. Mikel Merino also remained absent as he continues his recovery from injury. With Arsenal facing Sporting before Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester City, the session was always likely to be closely watched.
It is important to note, though, that this was only a view of the start of training. Players not visible in the opening section can still join later, so the absences should not be treated as confirmation that those players are unavailable for the match.
Rice’s absence from the opening stages was notable because he had returned to training before the first leg in Lisbon and was available again, while Saka and Timber were among those not ready to travel for that game. Tuesday’s session, however, did not provide a complete picture, and the significance of any absence will depend on what Arteta says later in the day.
The Arsenal manager had already indicated before Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth that the situation was still changing. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta confirmed Eberechi Eze was available again and said there had been “changes since yesterday” when asked about Saka, Odegaard, Timber and Calafiori. Pressed on whether some of those players could be involved, he replied “I don’t know, some of them.”
There was no major clarification after the Bournemouth match. Arteta said he had no update at that stage on Calafiori, Odegaard and Saka, which meant Tuesday’s training session carried added significance. Even so, the opening moments alone were never likely to settle the issue fully.
Arteta is due to speak again later on Tuesday, and that press conference is expected to provide a clearer indication of Arsenal’s position before Sporting visit north London. For now, the training session has offered an early snapshot rather than a definitive team news update on the eve of an important European fixture.