It’s top against bottom in the final round of Champions League group fixtures on Tuesday night, with Kazakh minnows Kairat Almaty looking to do what Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Inter all failed to manage – beat Arsenal.
The Gunners have all but secured top spot after a perfect run of seven wins from seven, although defeat, coupled with a heavy Bayern victory away at PSV, could yet see Mikel Arteta’s side slip to second. Even so, that scenario feels unlikely, despite the hosts expected to rotate heavily with one eye on next weekend’s trip to Leeds United.
Declan Rice and Mikel Merino are both suspended following bookings at the San Siro, while defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are doubts after sitting out Tuesday’s open training session. In all likelihood, that absence is down to load management, though Arteta should offer clarity when he faces the media later.
There was more encouraging news elsewhere, with Riccardo Calafiori, sidelined since December with a muscular issue, and Kai Havertz, nearing the end of his recovery from knee surgery, both involved in training, raising the possibility of minutes for each.
16-year-old Marli Salmon, who made his debut in the competition against Club Brugge, will also be hoping for an opportunity. Were he to find the net, he would become Arsenal’s youngest-ever goalscorer, eclipsing the record set by Cesc Fabregas in 2004 at 16 years and 212 days.
Another contender for that mark, Max Dowman, remains sidelined with an ankle problem.