Arsenal have announced their 22-man squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign. The second season of the revamped league phase system introduces some fresh rule changes that would have greatly benefited the Gunners last year.
The higher a team finishes in the league phase table after eight matches, the more likely they are to play their knockout round opponents at their home stadium in the second leg, provided they ranked higher than them. This would have seen Arsenal host both Real Madrid and PSG at the Emirates Stadium in the second leg last season, but instead, they had to journey to Madrid and Paris due to the draw’s luck.
Towards the end of the season, Arsenal were on their last legs, having endured 27 separate player injuries. They entered their semi-final against PSG with midfielder Mikel Merino playing as their centre-forward and Jakub Kiwior replacing Gabriel Magalhaes.
Jurrien Timber started but later confessed he was nursing an injury, similar to fellow right-back Ben White. Riccardo Calafiori returned to the bench following his own issues, and Martin Odegaard started despite limping off in the previous match. Meanwhile, both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were sidelined for the season’s second half.
According to the UEFA website, Jesus has not been included in the squad. Whether this hints at his return is yet to be determined.
The summer has been a busy period for Arsenal‘s new sporting director, Andrea Berta. Despite the loss of key players such as Havertz, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Christian Norgaard, White, and Odegaard to injuries, the club appear to be in a stronger position in terms of squad depth.
Arsenal have been handed a favourable draw in the Champions League, with fixtures against Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Olympiacos, and FC Kairat at the Emirates Stadium. They will also face away games against Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Slavia Praha and Athletic Club.
This draw is considered the third easiest among the 36 teams participating in the competition, boosting confidence for a high table finish. It’s no surprise that all eight new signings have been included in the squad list.
Fifteen-year-old Max Dowman has also been registered. If he plays in the opening matches, he would become the youngest ever Champions League player, breaking the record set by Youssoufa Moukoko of Borussia Dortmund, who was 16 years and 18 days old when he made his debut.
Dowman will need to be listed on Arsenal‘s ‘A’ list for the Champions League, which has a maximum of 25 places, including eight for ‘locally trained players’. Once Dowman turns 16 in December, he can be moved to list ‘B’ for the knockout stages.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly won’t need to be registered until they turn 21 and can be included on list ‘B’.
Arsenal Champions League squad
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Tommy Setford
Defenders: Ben White, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori
Midfielders: Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Max Dowman, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze
Forwards: Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli
Content Source: www.express.co.uk