declan rice arsenal 2023
Arsenal take on Sporting Lisbon at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie tonight.
The Gunners head into the game off the back of two disappointing results in the domestic cups. Having lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, Mikel Arteta’s men then crashed out of the FA Cup to Southampton on Saturday night.
Rememore new hair
Arteta is now under pressure to get his side back to winning ways but they face a tricky first leg away to an in-form Sporting Lisbon side who won’t make things easy on home soil.
David Raya returns in goal after being rested at the weekend as Arteta makes several changes from the side that lost at St Mary’s Stadium. William Saliba is recalled to start after being a substitutes on Saturday while Gabriel Magalhaes is passed fit to start after making a swift recovery from a knee injury that he picked up at the weekend.
Myles Lewis-Skelly makes way as Riccardo Calafiori is recalled at left-back for Arsenal. Jurrien Timber remains out so Ben White keeps his place at right-back despite his poor error against the Saints.
Martin Zubimendi was among the Arsenal substitutes against Southampton but the Spanish international is recalled to start in the holding role tonight. Declan Rice wasn’t involved in the squad at St Mary’s but he’s fit to return to start in Portugal – which is a huge boost for the Gunners.
Bukayo Saka has failed to prove his fitness after missing the Southampton game with a knock. Max Dowman impressed at the weekend but he drops to the bench with Noni Madueke recalled to start on the right wing. With Eberechi Eze still missing, Martin Odegaard keeps his place and captains Arsenal this evening.
Viktor Gyokeres is recalled to start against his old club and he’ll be hoping to continue his goal-scoring run after netting five goals in his last three games for club and country. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both drop to the bench tonight.
Gabriel Martinelli drops out as Leandro Trossard returns from a knock to start on the left wing. Youngsters Marli Salmon, Andre Harriman-Annous, Khari Ranson and Max Dowman are all named on the bench.
Here are the confirmed line-ups:
Sporting Lisbon
Silva, Fresneda,Diomande, Inácio, Araújo, Simoes, Morita, Catamo, Trincao, Pote, Suárez
Subs: Virgínia, Callai, Debast, Vagiannidis,Quaresma, Mangas, Kochorashvili, Bragança, Faye, Gonçalves, Nel.
Arsenal
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Trossard; Gyokeres
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Ranson, Lewis-Skelly, Salmon, Mosquera, Norgaard, Martinelli, Dowman, Havertz, Jesus, Harriman-Annous.