Arsenal and Real Madrid will both miss six players when they collide in the Emirates, with both parties in the hope of reaching the semi -final of this year's Champions League
Arsenal and Real Madrid will both miss a series of important players when they meet in the first stage of their quarter-final collision of the Champions League. Both parties go on their way to the game after disappointing results at the weekend.
Arsenal dropped points against Everton on Saturday, while Madrid was defeated by Valencia that same day with 2-1. Neither parties, however, suffered further injuries, for which both Mikel Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti will be grateful.
Arsenal will be without five players because of an injury, while on-Loan winger Raheem Sterling is suspended after the third booking of the campaign against PSV Eindhoven.
Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are excluded with knee and hamstring injuries for the rest of the season. Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu also have knee problems, while Gabriel Magalhaes sustained a hamstring injury earlier this month.
Ben White should be fine to start after 60 minutes to manage Everton, while Bukayo Saka stands in line to make his first start since he returned from a hamstring injury.
“We still have a training session this afternoon, but Ben completed the game,” said Arteta in his press conference before the competition. “We had to stop him over time because he didn't play much football, but he was fine after the game.
“And with the rest they went through the game and they could do some pieces yesterday and be ready to train today. [Saka] Is in a much better place.
“Gradually we have built his minutes in the past six or seven days. He dealt with that very well and he is in a good place to be used.”
Madrid will meanwhile will be suspended for the collision without people like Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy for injuries and Aurelien Tchouameni. Third-choice goalkeeper Fran Gonzalez made his debut during the weekend with both Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin injured.
However, Courtois will return to the starting XI against Arsenal after Madrid called him in their traveling team on Monday. “I am completely fit,” Coourtois explained for the game.
“If I start or not, you have to ask the manager! But I am fit and I feel good. It was not a big problem, so I could train in the gym and do my routines.
“I have been on the field for the last day, so I feel good and 100 percent – and hopefully I am ready to help the team tomorrow. I had a few injuries at the start of the season, but I think I might be back too early.
“I trained, training good, I am in good shape. This was just a lump and we didn't want to take any risks, so we decided that I would rest on the weekend and not play on Saturday.”
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