Arsenal will be looking to make a winning start to their Champions League campaign when they take on Athletic Club on Tuesday, but Mikel Arteta has one eye on the Premier League
07:14, 16 Sep 2025
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have made a strong start to the Premier League season and now turn their attention to the Champions League
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will aim to strike a balance in their Champions League encounter away at Athletic Club, with a crucial Premier League match on the horizon.
Arteta's squad enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, giving their title hopes a boost ahead of the midweek European competition. Summer recruit Martin Zubimendi was the standout performer, netting twice, including a spectacular volley from the edge of the box in the first half.
A Viktor Gyokeres goal just after the interval extended the Gunners' lead, before Zubimendi rounded off the home win with a powerful header to make it 3-0. However, not everything went according to plan on Saturday, despite the Gunners bouncing back in fine fashion from their defeat away to champions Liverpool before the international break.
Here's all the latest news from the Emirates ahead of a huge week for the Gunners.
Captain's injury concern
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal goes down with injury against Nottingham Forest
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal goes down with injury against Nottingham Forest(Image: SmartFrame/News Images)
Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard had to exit the pitch early in the first half against Forest due to an ongoing shoulder injury, reports the Mirror.
Arteta is likely to be concerned about his skipper's fitness ahead of their Champions League match, but Zubimendi's recent displays show that they have ample midfield depth.
Midfield stalwart Declan Rice was introduced as a substitute during the Forest match, likely being preserved for the Champions League curtain-raiser. He started a game on the bench for just the second time in in 2025.
Odegaard appears unavailable for Tuesday's fixture, so Arteta may well deploy Zubimendi to fill the Norwegian's position alongside Mikel Merino and Declan Rice.
Defensive selections
Ben White of Arsenal
Ben White is back for Arsenal(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Defender Ben White returned to the matchday squad on Saturday after recovering from an injury, sitting on the bench alongside new loan signing Piero Hincapie.
Cristhian Mosquera has impressed after stepping up to replace William Saliba in defence following the Frenchman's ankle injury.
Saliba could return sooner than expected after returning to training on Friday, though Saturday's Premier League clash arrived too soon. Discussing Saliba and White's fitness before the Forest encounter, Arteta revealed: "Willy trained today so we'll have a decision to make whether we play him or not, very good news. The rest [trained] as usual, and Ben White as well, Ben's okay."
The French centre-back would typically be among Arteta's automatic selections, yet the manager is likely considering Arsenal's vital showdown with Manchester City on Sunday. This indicates the Gunners boss will make tactical decisions to protect his star players for the Premier League whilst trying to claim victory with a marginally depleted squad.
It's likely, therefore, that Mosquera will keep his starting position against Athletic Club on Tuesday, even if Saliba is deemed ready for the European opener.
The defensive line-up of Jurrien Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori is likely to remain unchanged to maintain some consistency within the squad, while Gyokeres will be eager to continue his scoring run in yet another tournament for the Gunners.
Forward absences
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on August 17, 2025 in Manchester, England
Bukayo Saka is a big miss for Arsenal(Image: 2025 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)
Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will still be unavailable for Arsenal on Tuesday evening, meaning Arteta will be depending on some less experienced stars to lead the attack in the European competition.
There's the remote possibility of 15-year-old Max Dowman breaking another record by becoming the youngest Champions League participant in history, with Arteta potentially wary of overworking Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.
However, it's highly unlikely that Dowman will be chosen over Madueke, given his recent exceptional performances both for Arsenal and England.
Arsenal's predicted starting XI against Athletic Club.
(4-3-3) Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi, Merino; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze.
Arteta optimism for tie
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Looking forward to the trip to Bilbao, Arteta said: "I'm now preparing to win in Bilbao which is going to be incredible. I hope you all go because it's one of the best places to go, north of Spain, that's where I'm from.
"I think you're going to enjoy it guys and an incredible stadium atmosphere to play football."
Discussing the impact of his new summer signings, the manager added: "I have no question in terms of what we want and dressing room and feeling part of that or the support that we're going to have from our people, no question. But then things have to click and go well for you in the first instances.
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"We have tried to create the right environment for them and the quality is there. I'm very glad that's so early already. You can see that they're going to add so much value to the team."