Arsenal have acquired a serious squad enhance forward of their UEFA Champions League battles with Actual Madrid subsequent month.
The Gunners powered into the final eight of the competitors after a dominant 9-3 final 16 mixture win over PSV Eindhoven.
Their reward for that could be a quarter remaining double header towards the defending European champions, after Los Blancos dug deep to edge out a controversial penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal’s solely earlier Champions League assembly with Los Blancos got here within the 2005/06 final 16 stage as Thierry Henry silenced the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in a 1-0 win.
The stakes are sky excessive forward of the 2025 version, with Arsenal’s marketing campaign hinging on the Champions League – as Liverpool shut in on the Premier League title – and Carlo Ancelotti’s group chase three main trophies.
Forward of the go to of Ancelotti to North London, Mikel Arteta can have his talisman Bukayo Saka again to full health, in a key optimistic replace for the Basque coach.
Saka has missed three months of motion following surgical procedure on a thigh harm, however he’s now in full coaching, with a number of reviews within the UK indicating he’ll characteristic towards Fulham on April 1.
A run out towards Fulham will likely be Saka’s first look of 2025, as a part of a construct up in direction of a probable begin towards Actual Madrid, with a visit to Everton on the playing cards in between.
The plan is to begin Saka towards Actual Madrid – regardless of the potential threat – due his significance in Arteta’s beginning line up.
Raheem Sterling will miss the primary leg because of a one-match suspension, however Saka’s begin might see teenage star Ethan Nwaneri drop to the bench, with Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli beginning.
Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz stay sidelined with season-ending accidents for Arteta however the return of Saka will likely be some extent of concern for Ancelotti.