Champions League: Inter Milan vs Arsenal – Gunners Set to Miss Several Key Players in Heavyweight Clash

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Arsenal are set for a pivotal Champions League showdown against Inter Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday, aiming to restore their European momentum despite missing several key players.

Mikel Arteta's side has faced setbacks in their Premier League form, dropping to fifth after recent losses to Bournemouth and Newcastle, and a draw with Liverpool.

Currently, Arsenal sit seven points behind leaders Liverpool, putting pressure on their domestic title aspirations and making European and domestic cup competitions increasingly important for silverware.

Despite their recent league struggles, Arsenal's Champions League campaign has been solid. Following an opening draw against Atalanta, they secured consecutive victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk, placing them ninth in the expanded format and just one spot shy of an automatic Round of 16 berth.

Arsenal Team News

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard's return from injury comes as a timely boost. The creative midfielder, whose absence had left Arsenal struggling in attack, trained with the team on Tuesday and travelled with the squad to Milan.

However, Arteta will be without Declan Rice, who was not spotted with the team en route to Italy. The reason for his absence remains unclear, adding another challenge to Arsenal's midfield lineup.

In addition to Rice, the Gunners will also miss defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Kieran Tierney (hamstring), and Riccardo Calafiori (knee).

On the bright side, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes returned from injury last weekend, with White expected to start at the San Siro. His return allows Arteta to shift Thomas Partey back into his preferred midfield role after the Ghanaian had filled in as right-back in White's absence.

With both Arsenal and Inter still unbeaten in the competition, Wednesday's clash promises a highly competitive fixture as they battle to improve their positions in the Champions League standings.

Arsenal Predicted Line-up (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Merino, Partey, Odeegard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.