Having come on as a sub in our last two games, Bukayo Saka takes his place in the starting XI for our Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid. 

A hamstring injury suffered away to Fulham on December 21 ruled him out for three months, but he scored off the bench in our last game at Emirates Stadium, before playing the second half at Everton at the weekend. 

He’s one of five changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Goodison Park, with Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard also returning. It means Mikel Merino is likely to resume his centre forward role, with Saturday’s goalscorer Leandro Trossard reverting to the bench.

Gabriel is injured of course, so Jakub Kiwior continues his centre-back partnership with William Saliba, while Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber start at full-back.

Raheem Sterling is suspended so not in the squad, while Declan Rice, Timber and Martinelli would all miss the second leg if booked tonight. 

The most decorated manager in Champions League history, Carlo Ancelotti has also made five alterations to his Madrid team that conceded in the 95th minute to lose at home to Valencia on Saturday, with only Antonio Rudiger keeping his place in defence.

Thibaut Courtois returns between the posts after missing three games with rookie goalkeeper Fran Gonzalez dropping to the bench, while Marco Ascencio replaces the suspended Aurelien Tchouameni to partner the former Chelsea man at centre-back.

Veteran left-back David Alaba is preferred to Fran Garcia, while Federico Valverde returns to the right-back role he has filled in recent matches, meaning Lucas Vazquez is among the replacements. Eduardo Camavinga takes Valverde’s midfield vacancy alongside Jude Bellingham and Luka Modric, while Rodrygo is preferred to Brahim Diaz on the wing.

As expected Kylian Mbappe starts alongside Vinicius Jr in attack, who along with Modric, Endrick, Vazquez, Rudiger and Camavinga, would miss the second leg if they pick up a caution tonight.

LINE-UPS

Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Merino.

Subs: Neto, Setford, Tierney, White, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower, Nwaneri.

Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Ascencio, Rudiger, Alaba, Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe.

Subs: Gonzalez, Mestre, Vazquez, Lorenzo, F. Garcia, Vallejo, Jacobo, Andres, Guler, Diaz, Endrick, G. Garcia.

Ahead of kick-off, get all the key stats, TV coverage, historical meetings, a guide to Madrid’s tactics and more with our must-read match preview.