Mikel Arteta has confirmed that five Arsenal first team players will miss the club's UEFA Champions League opener against Athletic Club in Bilbao tonight. The Gunners travel to Spain for the first phase fixture of the competition this season and will be determined to secure all three points.
Mikel Artetas side go into the game in the back of a convincing 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend, while Athletic Club suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Alaves.
Arsenal and Bilbao will meet at the San Mames Stadium tonight, but both clubs will be forced to deal with some players being unavailable for the fixture due to injuries.