Mikel Arteta has big Kieran Tierney decision amid Arsenal suspension risk for Sporting CP clash

Kieran Tierney is the only Arsenal player to walk a disciplinary tightrope in Thursday night’s Europa League round of 16 first leg against Sporting CP.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is expected to face a squad rotation as this is his side’s third game in a week, not to mention they will host a London derby three days later in Fulham in a crucial game in the run-up to the Premier League title contest races.

Among Arsenal’s older players vying for a return to the starting line-up in Lisbon is Tierney, who has not started a Premier League game since the Boxing Day win over West Ham United as Oleksandr Zinchenko was revealed to be the first is. Choice left-back if fit and available to choose from.

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That has not been the case so far this season in Europe, however, as Tierney has started all six group games – three times the full 90 minutes – and scored the winning goal against FC Zurich on matchday six that ultimately saw the Gunners avoided a game -off knockout round tie.

With that in mind, considering the 25-year-old’s disciplinary record, it could be tempting to leave the Scotland international out of a Europa League starting line-up for the first time this season, just to protect him.

As confirmed by UEFA in its “UEFA Europa League Regulations”, players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions which have not resulted in a red card and each subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth etc.);

Currently, Tierney is the only Arsenal player imminently at risk of suspension, having received a yellow card in the Europa League in October’s doubles match against PSV Eindhoven. Therefore, he has to be careful at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. A caution against Sporting would see him miss the second leg at the Emirates Stadium a week later.