Mikel Arteta says that right-back Ben White could return to the starting XI ahead of their last-16 second-leg against PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal have a 7-1 lead from the first game and it presents White with the chance to start his first game since the 1-1 draw against Chelsea before the November international break.
White required surgery on a knee problem but has come off the bench against West Ham, Nottingham Forest and PSV in the last month.
“I think we have to manage him very well because he was still having some issues to manage in terms of the load,” said Arteta. “We’re very cautious of that to make sure that when he comes back, he can now maintain that level, and there’s no more setbacks. But I think he’s in a good position now to give him a start.”
Jurrien Timber has taken over the right-back role this season in his absence, but Arsenal have been missing two thirds of the right flank that has been key to their success the last three seasons.
“Well obviously, that connection that we had in the right side with him Bukayo (Saka) and Martin (Odegaard) was something exceptional and a real threat to the team,” said Arteta.
“We missed that. It’s true that Jurrien has been equally exceptional as well with his performance and consistency and now we’re going to have another option which is great to have.”
No team has ever lost a knockout tie in the Champions League having won the first leg by a margin of six goals.
It gives Arteta a chance to rotate with the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, Kieran Tierney, Jorginho and Raheem Sterling not having featured regularly.
“It is unique but as well understanding how the game was played a week ago and the fact that everything went in the right direction for us from the beginning and we’re going to have to end the right tomorrow to go in the same direction, so fully focused on that.”
Sterling has only started nine games since joining on loan from Chelsea last summer.
He did not come off the bench on Sunday in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford despite Arteta working with him at Manchester City for years.
“The same with the rest of the players,” he said. “At the end we make decisions on the day which player we believe fits better in the manner the game is developing and he’s come on in many of the games and didn’t do it there. That’s it.”
(Warren Little/Getty Images)
