Arsenal travel to face Slavia Praha in the Champions League on Wednesday without the injured Bukayo Saka. The Premier League leaders are aiming for a fourth win in the league phase to strengthen their hold on an automatic qualification spot. The team sits first in the Premier League with 24 points from nine games, holding a three-point lead at the top.
Mikel Arteta confirmed the winger's absence after he missed Sunday's 1-0 win at Liverpool. "The winger needed another scan to check how fluid around the injury was resolving and whether the tendon was affected," the manager said on 30 October. Arteta added that Saka was feeling better and could return before the upcoming international break, but did not specify a return date.
With Saka unavailable, Noni Madueke is expected to retain his place on the right wing after starting at Anfield. Christos Tzolis, who recently returned from a six-game absence with a hamstring injury, is set to continue on the opposite flank. Kai Havertz will lead the attack after scoring the decisive goal against Liverpool, taking his tally to three for the season, making him the club's top scorer.
Arsenal arrive in Prague in strong domestic form, sitting top of the Premier League with 24 points from nine games, having won eight and lost one. They are on a seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions and have scored in their last seven outings. Their recent form in the last five games stands at three wins and two draws. Their recent fixtures include a 2-2 draw away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and a hard-fought victory at Liverpool, secured by Havertz's 16th-minute strike, assisted by Declan Rice. The team's last result was that 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday 1 November.
Defender William Saliba also remains sidelined with a back injury. Slavia Praha will be without suspended striker Tomás Chory and several other players due to injury and eligibility issues. The Czech side has taken just one point from their first three group games but is on a five-match unbeaten run and has lost only once in their last ten matches at home.
Historically, Arsenal have the upper hand in this fixture, with three wins from five previous meetings and no defeats. A victory at the Sinobo Stadium would keep them firmly in the top seven of the league phase table with four matches remaining.
