Declan Rice and Gabriel set for Arsenal return against Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal are expecting Declan Rice and Gabriel to return for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen.
Goalkeeper David Raya and midfielder Martin Zubimendi are also set to feature after missing the weekend’s FA Cup victory over Mansfield.
Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the quartet were left out of the squad on Saturday to manage ongoing fitness concerns.
Managing squad fitness
The Gunners boss admitted the decision to rest key personnel was necessary due to the “super demanding” fixture schedule.
Arteta emphasized the need to resolve minor physical problems before the trip to Germany.
“They had issues and they’ve been carrying issues. And it was the only time to try to make sure that we can clean those issues that they’re having to start the next sequence of two weeks before the break in the best possible way.”
With a crucial European night ahead, the north London club prioritised squad longevity over the domestic cup fixture.
“We had to make those decisions,” the Spaniard added.
Fresh concerns for Arteta
Despite the boost of returning stars, Arsenal suffered new setbacks during the 2-1 win at Field Mill.
Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori were both substituted with what Arteta described as “little niggles”.
The conditions of the match were cited as a contributing factor to the withdrawals.
“Both of them, they had little niggles, they weren’t comfortable to continue. We knew that this could be a possibility… so we have to take them off.”
Defensive worries remain
Arsenal are also hoping William Saliba will recover from an ankle problem in time for the first leg against Leverkusen.
Club captain Martin Odegaard and defender Ben White also remained absent for the cup tie through injury.
