Arsenal are looking to start their Champions League campaign in style when they make the trip to Spain to face La Liga side Athletic Bilbao in a league phase encounter on Tuesday, having overcome Nottingham Forest in a domestic clash at the Emirates Stadium last time out.
Martin Zubimendi grabbed the first two goals of his Gunners career against the Tricky Trees, following his £60million switch from Real Sociedad during the transfer window, while fellow close season recruit Viktor Gyokeres also found the back of the net as boss Mikel Arteta saw his side return to winning ways.
Athletic Bilbao, who tied talisman Nico Williams down to a 10-year contract which has a release clause worth more than £80million in the summer, are heading into the fixture after a narrow defeat to Alaves last weekend. GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at how they and visitors Arsenal are expected to line-up at the Estadio de San Mames.
Athletic Bilbao Team News
Nico Williams in action for Athletic Bilbao
Williams will not be involved for Athletic Bilbao as he is still nursing an adductor injury he suffered earlier this month, which will come as a significant boost for Arsenal, while Benat Prados and Unai Egiluz are also on the treatment table with knee and anterior cruciate ligament problems respectively.
The Basque side are unable to call on 30-year-old defender Yeray Alvarez after it was confirmed by UEFA that he is serving a 10-month ban due to failing a doping test when he tested positive for canrenone following their home defeat to Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals last term.
Although former Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte returned to Athletic Bilbao last week, with FIFA making a U-turn and approving his move from Al-Nassr, he is unavailable after not being included in head coach Ernesto Valverde's squad for the league phase of the Champions League.
Valverde Drops Team News Update
Athletic Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde watching on from the touchline
Valverde, who has guided Athletic Bilbao back into the Champions League for the first time since the 2014/25 campaign, has conceded that he cannot put a timescale on when Euro 2024-winning Spain international Williams will return to contention as his side prepare to take on Arsenal at the Estadio de San Mames. He said:
"I'd like to have him in at least one of these seven-match stretches, but I don't know. It will depend on how the injury progresses."
Athletic Bilbao Predicted XI
Unai Simon in action for Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao Predicted XI: Simon; Areso, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Vesga, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sancet, I. Williams; Guruzeta.
Athletic Bilbao Predicted Substitutes: Padilla (GK), Gorosabel (DEF), Boiro (DEF), De Luis (DEF), Izaguirre (DEF), Ruiz De Galarreta (MID), Gomez (MID), Navarro (MID), Rego (MID), Sannadi (FWD), Serrano (FWD).
Arsenal Team News
Martin Odegaard during a pre-match warm-up with Arsenal
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is out of the clash with Athletic Bilbao after landing awkwardly on his shoulder following a tackle from teammate Jurrien Timber, who was attempting to regain possession from Morgan Gibbs-White on the edge of Nottingham Forest's penalty area last weekend.
Ben White is also absent, while Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Kepa and Ethan Nwaneri - who earn a combined total of £510,000-per-week, before bonuses - have to settle for a place on the bench.
Arsenal have been handed a significant boost as William Saliba was spotted training with his teammates on Monday, leading to there being optimism that he will be included in the matchday squad or even brought back into the starting line-up as they seek a win in their Champions League opener.
Arteta Drops Team News Update
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Following Arsenal's victory over Nottingham Forest, Arteta confirmed that Odegaard has done damage to the same shoulder that kept him on the bench for the defeat to Liverpool last month, and is out alongside three of his teammates. The Spanish tactician said:
Gabi, Kai, Ben and Martin are still out, unfortunately.
[On Saka's fitness]: No, I think there are still quite a lot of things to go through. It’s very early to understand when and which week he’s going to be available. But he will certainly be pushing to be available as quickly as possible.
Arsenal Predicted XI
Martin Zubimendi vs Athletic Club
Arsenal Predicted XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi, Merino; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze.
Arsenal Predicted Substitutes: Arrizabalaga (GK), Setford (GK), Mosquera (DEF), Hincapie (DEF), Lewis-Skelly (DEF), Norgaard (MID), Trossard (FWD), Martinelli (FWD), Dowman (FWD), Nwaneri (FWD).