Arsenal are set to battle Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday night at the Emirates after a poor performance in the first leg in which they drew in Germany 1-1.
It will not get any easier for the Gunners either, as manager Mikel Arteta confirmed to reporters at the press conference before the game, via Sam C, that both captain Martin Odegaard and starting right back Jurrien Timber will be out.
Odegaard has been slowed by injuries all season and has not played since facing Tottenham Hotspur in late February for about 13 minutes. He is a huge miss for Arsenal, as the team are not as confident or creative in possession without his presence between the lines. Hopefully, he can return soon.
But on form, Timber is arguably a bigger loss. He has been the best right back in the Premier League this season, but he had to leave the game against Everton over the weekend with a possible ankle injury.
Fans were hopeful it was just a precautionary sub, but Timber appears to be legitimately hurt. It is a tough blow for Arsenal to face a dynamic Leverkusen attack without him.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.