Arsenal face Sporting in the Europa League tonight. It’s their first knockout match of the competition so it’s pivotal Arteta fields a lineup which is capable of securing the win. The difficulty is, though, Arteta must have one eye on the Premier League, so squad rotation will come in handy for fitness levels.
The Top Flight confirmed yesterday that Kieran Tierney can’t play in this match. He wasn’t in training and hasn’t travelled due to illness. It’s not thought to be anything major, but it could be a while before he plays again since he’s out of favour to Oleksandr Zinchenko.
There is some good news for Arsenal fans, though…
Fabio Vieira deemed fit to play for Arsenal vs Sporting
According to Football London, Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Fabio Vieira is fit and could play for Arsenal vs Sporting tonight. Interestingly, the report also states that Arteta has been using Vieira for knowledge about tonight’s opposition, given his experience in Portuguese football.
Of course, Arteta would have done his own research, but to gain some insider knowledge will be invaluable as they prepare for tonight’s tie.
It’s more than likely we’ll see Fabio Vieira start in tonight’s match. Having gained some Premier League minutes in recent matches, he remains a core member to Mikel Arteta’s Europa League campaign.
Vieira is proving to be a great player. While there was some speculation when he first signed since it took him a while to break into the first time, he’s impressed when given chances recently.
Vieira is a very creative player, so this side of his game will greatly benefit Arsenal in their bid to progress in this competition. With Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard likely to be missing from this match, Vieira will likely look to provide for Gabriel Martinelli, a player who has helped him settle into London life. More on that below.
Do you think Fabio Vieira will start against Sporting?