Arsenal have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals but could be hit with FOUR bans if they advance to the next round. The Gunners are overwhelming favourites to reach the last four of the competition against Real Madrid.
A stunning brace of free kicks from Declan Rice, as well as a strike from Mikel Merino, secured an eye-catching victory last week at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta ’s men now need to avoid a defeat by three or more goals to book their first semi-final spot since 2009.
And Arsenal already know who they will be taking on should they reach that stage – either Paris Saint-Germain or Premier League rivals Aston Villa. The French side have a 3-1 lead after the first leg at the Parc des Princes.
However, Arsenal might have to do without a host of their key players for any semi-final. As it stands, all of Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey are all on two cautions throughout the competition.
As per UEFA rules, any further booking for those players would see them handed an automatic one-match ban. Away from the threat of suspension, Arsenal boss Arteta has a few injury concerns within the four.
Partey was withdrawn with a slight issue during the weekend’s draw with Brentford and it remains to be seen whether he can play in Spain. There was also concern over whether Rice was fit but Arteta did not seem too worried.
He said: “No, he was fine. Yesterday he trained with normality. He wasn’t feeling any pain. That’s why we put him in from the start.”
Long-term absentees Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu all remain restricted to the sidelines. There are also major doubts over the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho and Ben White ahead of Wednesday’s trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Speaking after his side’s first-leg win, Arteta said: “You have to continue to make steps, and tonight we have won in the right direction. Now it’s half-time, and now we have to go to the Bernabeu and we’re going to have to elevate the level again to be the team that we want to be there, and to prepare the game to win it.”
The Spaniard added: “I know how much work and how many decisions a lot of people have made in this football club, to live the night that we had tonight. I told them, thank you so much for making us enjoy the journey, to come here, and thank you, for me feeling so convinced that tonight we’re going to do it, and we’re going to make it happen. It was a genuine feeling because I think we are prepared to do that, and now we have to go to the Bernabeu and do it, and that will be another step.”
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