REUTERS/Matteo Ciambelli
The 2026/27 Champions League draw takes place on Thursday evening in Monaco, with Arsenal among the 36 teams that will take part.
The Gunners came ever so close to becoming European champions for the first time in May, but they suffered an agonising penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Despite that defeat, Mikel Arteta's side are considered one of the favourites to win the competition this season, and they will be more determined than ever to do so.
They will learn the eight teams that they will face in the League Phase on Thursday. While they can face Italian giants Inter Milan at the Emirates Stadium, the two teams will not be able to play against each other at the San Siro.
Why Arsenal and Inter Milan Can't Play Each Other at the San Siro
REUTERS/Matteo Ciambelli
Arsenal have played Inter Milan at the San Siro in the League Phase of the last two editions of the Champions League.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Inter beat Arsenal 1-0, with Hakan Çalhanoğlu's first-half penalty the difference between the two sides.
Last season, Arsenal got revenge at the San Siro as they won 3-1. Gabriel Jesus netted a brace and Viktor Gyokeres was also on the scoresheet in the English side's victory.
However, UEFA have introduced a new rule ahead of the 2026/27 campaign which bars them from going head-to-head once again in Italy during the league phase.
UEFA’s website reads: "The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
"This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season."
They will be able to play each other at the Emirates Stadium, while they can still play each other in the knockout rounds of the competition.
Arsenal aren't the only team that are affected by the new rules. Liverpool will also be unable to play Real Madrid at home after the two sides faced each other at Anfield in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Matchday 1 for the Champions League will take place from September 8-10. Arsenal are next in action on Monday, August 31, when they travel to the Midlands to take on Aston Villa in the Premier League.