Mikel Arteta says he wants “no fear” and “pure fire” from his players and supporters during a massive week for the club, as the Arsenal manager struck a bullish note in response to the 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Arsenal face Sporting in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday before travelling to Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Sunday in a game that could have huge implications on the title race.
Asked what he wants to see from players and fans alike against Sporting, he said: “No fear. Pure fire. That’s it. Me, the first one. Pure fire. That’s what I want to see on the players, on the people, on myself. That’s it.
“Go for it because the opportunity is unbelievable. We are in April, we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it.”
Arsenal’s chances of progressing past Sporting appear strong, as they carry a one-goal lead into the decider, but they could be without several key players in north London.
Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori were all absent from an open training session following the loss to Bournemouth, with Mikel Arteta saying: “We have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how a few of the boys are and make the right decision.”
The Arsenal manager said there could be a chance of one of either Saka or Timber returning for the fixture, but they have been absent since March 22 and March 14, respectively.
Asked whether Saka’s issue was suffered before or during the Carabao Cup final, Arteta added: “It was something he was carrying for a while.
“It was an Achilles issue. There is progression. Hopefully, it’s going to be a matter of days and not weeks. We have to see how he responds when he is loading more.”
Saka (left) and Rice (right) are integral to Arteta’s team.
Saka, 24, initially joined up with the England national team in March, but did not train before withdrawing. Rice, 27, did train before his withdrawal and has played two of Arsenal’s three matches since.
The midfielder appeared to have an awkward landing after jumping for the ball in the 65th minute against Bournemouth, and asked whether this sparked his recent issue, Arteta said: “He’s played a lot of games and that is part of the issue. But he’s going to try to do everything he can to be with us tomorrow.”
Odegaard, who has endured an injury-hit campaign, limped off the pitch during the first leg in Portugal last Tuesday and subsequently missed the Bournemouth game.
Calafiori played the entirety of the 1-0 victory over Sporting last Tuesday but then, like Odegaard, missed the Bournemouth defeat due to an unexplained issue.
Arsenal are also still without Mikel Merino, who has been sidelined since late January due to a foot injury that required surgery. He was spotted on the pitch at Wembley after the defeat in the Carabao Cup final with his foot in a protective boot.
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