
The Football Faithful
·16 settembre 2025
Arsenal XI vs Athletic Club – Predicted lineup and team news

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·16 settembre 2025
Arsenal travel to the Basque country for their Champions League opener on Tuesday, with Mikel Arteta’s side looking to begin their continental campaign in positive fashion despite injury concerns.
The Gunners will be boosted by their recent 3-0 victory over Athletic Club in pre-season, but know that facing Ernesto Valverde’s side at San Mamés will be a completely different proposition. Arsenal’s strong recent record against Spanish teams in Europe provides confidence ahead of this challenging opener.
A victory would give Arsenal a new Champions League record for consecutive wins against Spanish opponents. Consequently, they will be hopeful of overcoming the hostile atmosphere and starting their continental campaign with a positive result.
Captain Martin Ødegaard remains a major doubt after suffering a shoulder injury against Nottingham Forest, with further tests required to determine his availability.
There are plenty of options for the defensive lineup. William Saliba’s return to training is a significant boost, but he may start on the bench as a precautionary measure. An opportunity could arise for Piero Hincapié to make his debut. Ben White has been ruled out.
Bukayo Saka continues his recovery from a hamstring injury and will miss the trip to Bilbao, while Kai Havertz faces a longer spell on the sidelines with a knee problem.
Christian Norgaard could make his competitive debut after overcoming a minor muscle issue. The attack will be spearheaded by Viktor Gyökeres, who boasts an excellent Champions League record of seven goal involvements in his last eight appearances in the competition.
Arsenal predicted XI: Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapié, Rice, Zubimendi; Nwaneri, Madueke, Eze; Gyökeres.
The Champions League fixture will take place at Estadio de San Mamés on Tuesday, 16 September 2025, with kick-off at 7:45 pm BST.
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK, with coverage beginning at 7 pm BST.