Mikel Arteta faces many difficult Arsenal decisions for their Europa League last-16 clash against Sporting CP. Not only are a number of his key players major doubts for the clash but the Spaniard has to also decide if he must rest any first-team stars with the Gunners' ongoing Premier League title battle with Manchester City his priority.
Topping their group has meant Arteta and his players have not had to worry about European action since November 3, 2022, but their focus will have now shifted to a competition they could win. The knockout play-off round saw teams such as PSV, Monaco and of course Barcelona eliminated leaving Arsenal alongside Manchester United and Juventus as the favourites to win the tournament.
With two competitions to compete in now, both of which Arsenal have a real chance of winning, the return of Gabriel Jesus could not be better timed. The 25-year-old has been out with a knee injury since the World Cup but returned to full training earlier this week and travelled with the squad to Portugal.
