Mikel Arteta will be desperate to mark Arsenal’s long-awaited return to the Champions League with a statement

Mikel Arteta faces a number of roster decisions ahead of Arsenal’s inaugural Champions League group stage match against PSV because of the upcoming North London Derby. On Wednesday night, the Gunners will host Peter Bosz’s team at the Emirates Stadium in what is predicted to be a thrilling match.

While Arteta will want to celebrate the team’s long-awaited return to the tournament with a victory, he’ll also want to keep players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and William Saliba safe for what is sure to be a heated match against Tottenham. The Arsenal manager acknowledged that pride is also on the line ahead of the match against PSV.

Last season, the Gunners had a dismal Europa League campaign, losing to Sporting, Villarreal, and Olympiacos. Every day, you have something to prove, Arteta added. The point is, we have to demonstrate it tomorrow because that’s the sport.

“I have to demonstrate that we have made the finest preparations possible. The fact of sports is that we are providing the players every opportunity to win the match.

Therefore, football.london has looked at the four individuals who may be given the chance to impress — and possibly even force themselves into the starting lineup over the weekend — while Arteta balances the Gunners’ priorities.

Emile Smith Rowe

Since making his return from injury, Smith Rowe has rarely had a look in so he’ll be hoping for regular appearances in the cup competitions, like the Champions League, this season. The 23-year-old is an incredible talent who also offers Arteta plenty of tactical options – he just needs a run of games to pick up from where he left off as one of England’s top attacking midfielders.