Arsenal take on Atalanta on Thursday night (Picture: Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has no plans to rotate his Arsenal side for Thursday’s Champions League clash against Atalanta with a trip to Manchester City looming large this weekend.
The Gunners begin their European campaign away in Italy on Thursday night, their first of eight games in the competition’s new league phase that runs until January.
Matters will then quickly shift back to the Premier League with last season’s top two meeting at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
Arteta’s squad was stretched even at this early stage of the season last weekend against Tottenham, seeing off their arch-rivals despite missing two of their regular midfield stars and new signing Mikel Merino.
Thomas Partey, the last man standing, has played every minute of this season along with the defensive trio of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba and Kai Havertz up front.
Bukayo Saka meanwhile limped off with cramp in the final minutes of the Tottenham win, returning to training this week with Arteta confirming the winger is available for Thursday’s game in Bergamo.
Despite the packed fixture schedule and that vital trip to the Etihad, Arteta insists he is not tempted to make major changes.
Saka was back in training on Wednesday (Picture: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Asked if he will rotate the side with City in mind, Arteta told a press conference on Wednesday: ‘No we are in September so we have to put the players that we believe are the best to win tomorrow.
‘That’s the most important and only thing for us.’
Man City meanwhile will have an extra days’ rest with the champions in action against Inter Milan on Wednesday night.
Asked if that could be a disadvantage, Arteta said: ‘Hopefully not. We have so much energy from what happened on Sunday, it was great.
‘We have recovered a few players which is very important for us as well, and we’re playing in a competition that we absolutely love, so we’re looking at the positives.’
In addition to Saka, Arsenal have Riccardo Calafiori available again after his recent knock but Martin Odegaard is set for a spell on the sidelines with Arteta confirming he has suffered a ‘significant’ ankle ligament injury.
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