Key Takeaways
- Ademola Lookman and David Hancko return to training and are expected to start for Atletico Madrid.
- Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino due to injury.
- No players risk suspension for the second leg after yellow cards were wiped following the quarter-finals.
Atletico Madrid face Arsenal at the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday evening in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. The Spanish side hope to secure a fourth European final in their history, while the Gunners aim to gain an advantage before the return leg in London.
The clash kicks off at 21:00 local time. Both managers must adjust their plans after key players suffered fitness setbacks during weekend matches.
Diego Simeone faces several absences in his squad. Midfielders Nicolas Gonzalez and Pablo Barrios picked up injuries and will miss the fixture. Defender Jose Maria Gimenez also remains unavailable for selection. However, Simeone has received a boost with the return of winger Ademola Lookman and defender David Hancko. Both players completed training sessions this week after missing recent games.
Spanish media predict Lookman will start in attack alongside Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez. There is some debate regarding the centre-back pairing. Some reports suggest Robin Le Normand will partner Marc Pubill, while others believe Hancko will slot straight into the defence. Marcos Llorente is expected to move to right-back, allowing Johnny Cardoso to play alongside captain Koke Resurreccion in midfield. Jan Oblak will likely start in goal rather than backup Juan Musso.
Mikel Arteta also has injury concerns. Kai Havertz is ruled out, while Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino remain on the sidelines. Despite these losses, Bukayo Saka is fit to play. The England winger is expected to feature alongside Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres in the forward positions. Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie should continue at full-back. Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori have recovered but will start on the substitutes’ bench.
Before the match, Arteta stated that Arsenal must recognise when Atletico are building momentum during the game. Simeone emphasised the need for his players to maintain the balance between mental clarity and passion that has served them well in previous rounds.
The victors of this tie will advance to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Milan in the final. Tuesday’s encounter presents both clubs with the opportunity to take a crucial step towards continental success.