Arsenal one game away from Champions League nightmare as Mikel Arteta faces double dilemma

Mikel Arteta has the chance on Wednesday night to send Arsenal through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a bang. His side are pretty much already there.

Leading 7-1 from the first leg in Eindhoven last week, PSV require the biggest upset in European football history to overturn the deficit. Arteta, meanwhile, can rest as well as he will probably ever be able to for a knockout tie know that it is all but done.

With this in mind, Arteta can rotate and have at least one eye on Sunday's match against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, which takes on an increasingly important look. Enzo Maresca's side could move to within three points of Arsenal with a win.

What this allows Arteta to do is take absolutely no risks whatsoever with his team selection. Not only with injuries - it is the perfect time to rest Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, and maybe even David Raya or others - but also suspension.

Arsenal currently have three players who are one booking away from missing the first leg of the new round. That would mean being unavailable for playing one of the two Madrid sides. Real take a 2-1 advantage to Atletico, also on Wednesday night.

The threshold for bookings stands at three from the start of the competition in the league phase and does not get wiped until the semi-finals. This means that those Arsenal players on the a tightrope will also have to avoid being cautioned in the first leg of the quarter finals as well if they wish to feature in the away Madrid tie.

The good news for Arteta is that his selection can all but rule out losing any of his trio. Gabriel Martinelli returned to the squad at Old Trafford after a month out with injury and is one of those on two yellow cards.

He could be in line to start at the Emirates Stadium in a bid to get his fitness back up ahead of Chelsea but that would expose him to the risk of being suspended in Europe. Arteta may well prefer to leave him out and get another cameo into his legs before the weekend.

Due to a lack of attacking options, Martinelli could remain behind Leandro Trossard on the left. He has also played up front before, which is where Mikel Merino is playing.

Arteta's squad does not give him much room to manoeuvre but Nathan Butler-Oyedeji could also play if rotation was to be taken another step forward. That would allow both Merino and Martinelli to sit it out, although would likely see Nwaneri or Trossard remain in the side.

Raheem Sterling is the other choice. He has hardly even made it is a bit-part player this season but will surely be offered some minutes against PSV. He is one of those who will see the games as a chance to impress. He is also pretty much expendable.

Arsenal will hope to have Bukayo Saka back after the international break and therefore Sterling's needs will be diminished again. He is one of those on the verge of suspension but there is not as much fear attached to losing him as there is with Martinelli or Jurrien Timber.

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UEFA Champions League
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Arsenal face PSV Eindhoven in the- second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on March 12.

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The full-back is the final player who will need to watch themselves if Arteta does go for a strong team on Wednesday. Timber played 76 minutes against PSV, scoring the first goal, and Arteta does have backup on the right and left if needed.

Riccardo Calafiori started at Old Trafford with Ben White in a position to ramp up his game time as well. Myles Lewis-Skelly was fortunate to avoid a red card in the first leg but can be used in midfield or at left as well. There is no need to put Timber in the firing line really.

If there was more at play here then there could easily be some tough questions for Arteta to answer with a balance being needed to manage his squad and the suspensions as well as demands to qualify. As it happens, he has a free pass to rest and rotate, shielding those on two-bookings if needed.

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