Thierry Henry sends Sporting CP message to Mikel Arteta amid Gabriel Jesus Arsenal return hint

Mikel Arteta faces many tough Arsenal decisions ahead of Europa League Round of 16 vs Sporting CP. Not only do some of his key players have serious doubts about the clash, but the Spaniard must also decide whether to let any first-team stars take priority with the Gunners’ ongoing Premier League title fight against Manchester City.

Winning the group means Arteta and his players don’t have to worry about European action since November 3, 2022, but their focus will now have shifted to a competition they could win. The knockout play-offs saw teams like PSV, Monaco and, of course, Barcelona all eliminated, leaving Arsenal alongside Manchester United and Juventus as favorites to win the tournament.

With two competitions to play now and both Arsenal with a real shot at winning, Gabriel Jesus’ return couldn’t come at a better time. The 25-year-old has been out since the World Cup with a knee injury but returned to full training earlier this week and traveled with the team to Portugal.

CONTINUE READING: Mikel Arteta breaks silence on Real Madrid ahead of Arsenal v Sporting CP clash

Understandably, Jesus’ availability was what everyone wanted to know in Arteta’s pre-match press conference, but the Arsenal boss didn’t reveal anything. He told reporters: “Update on the squad will come tomorrow. We’ve brought a few players and you’ll see who’s available tomorrow.”

Leandro Trossard, Eddie Nketiah and Kieran Tierney are the other possible absentees for the duel and Arteta again made sure to play his cards close to his chest. “Let’s see how they fare,” he replied when asked about the status of the trio. “Obviously we’ve had a few issues over the past few days and I’m trying to accommodate everyone and get everyone in the best possible shape for tomorrow.”

In addition to those four key decisions, Arteta is likely to be plagued by another team-selection dilemma, but Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has told his former team-mate exactly what to do.

Speaking on CBS Sport, he said, “I would just try. Gabriel Jesus is coming back soon. The core of the team should not move. You can replace an Nketiah with a Jesus who will come back. You don’t want to burn it either. You can perhaps replace a Martinelli with a Trossard. You can change these types.