Porto vs Arsenal predicted XIs: Confirmed team news and probable lineups
Wednesday night sees the final English side start their campaign in the Champions League knockout stages as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal travel to Portugal to face Sergio Conceicao’s Porto.
The Gunners are the third favourites to lift the coveted trophy – behind Manchester City and Real Madrid – and should have more than enough quality to see off the Dragons, who are losing ground in the race for the Liga Portugal title.
Porto vs Arsenal team news
A second Porto defender picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury last weekend as Zaidu Sanusi was stretchered off and he joins Ivan Marcano in missing Wednesday’s encounter, with neither player expected to feature for Porto again this season.
They are the only absentees for Conceicao’s side, with star striker Mehdi Taremi expected to start in what could be his final home Champions League appearance for the club, with rumours circulating around an imminent agreement for a free transfer to Inter Milan in the summer.
A number of first-team squad members are nursing injuries at Arsenal and are likely to miss Wednesday’s encounter.
Jurrien Timber (ACL), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knock), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Fabio Vieira (groin), Thomas Partey (thigh) and Gabriel Jesus (knee) are all expected to be absent from the matchday squad, although all may return from injury by the end of February.
Porto vs Arsenal predicted line-ups
Porto: Costa; Joao Mario, Otavio, Pepe, Sanchez; Grujic, Varela; Galeno, Pepe, Conceicao; Taremi
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
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