Arsenal reportedly include forgotten defender Kieran Tierney in their travelling squad for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon..
Arsenal have reportedly included defender Kieran Tierney in their travelling squad for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon.
Following a three-game winless run prior to the international break, the Gunners returned to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, beating Nottingham Forest at the Emirates in the Premier League.
A first-half strike from Bukayo Saka fired Arsenal into the lead at the break, before efforts from Thomas Partey and Ethan Nwaneri made sure of the destination of the points.
Mikel Arteta‘s side now face a daunting trip to the home of Sporting Lisbon, who smashed Champions League contenders Manchester City during their most recent continental match.
Although the departure of head coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United has weakened the group significantly, Sporting still have plenty of high-profile names in their setup, including striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal include Tierney in squad for Champions League match?
According to journalist Isaan Khan, Arsenal boss Arteta has made a shock decision ahead of Tuesday night’s test away at the base of Sporting Lisbon.
The report claims that defender Tierney has made the travelling squad of the Gunners as they look to avoid back-to-back defeats in the Champions League.
News of the left-back’s inclusion makes sense considering that Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are facing spells in the Arsenal medical room.
Former England international White is struggling with a knee injury and is not expected to feature for the Gunners until late January at the earliest.
Arteta’s options on the flanks of his defence are further reduced by the absence of Tomiyasu, who is targeting a return next month from a knee problem.
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Arsenal’s forgotten man returns
Supposedly included in the travelling squad for Tuesday night, Tierney could make his first Arsenal appearance since the 2023 FA Community Shield final against Man City in August 2023.
The 27-year-old spent a large chunk of his 15-month absence from the Gunners’ plans on loan at Real Sociedad in Spain, where he made 26 appearances across all competitions last season.
Despite his difficulties at Arsenal, Tierney remains a vital part of Steve Clarke‘s thinking at international level, with the defender starting all three of Scotland’s matches at Euro 2024 over the summer.
The Tartan Army star sustained a serious hamstring injury during the 1-1 draw with Switzerland on June 19 and has not featured in a competitive match for club or country since.
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