Arsenal: Declan Rice and Kieran Tierney fit for Sporting test as Mikel Arteta faces Viktor Gyokeres questions | OneFootball

Only Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu missing for the Gunners as they aim to end year-long wait for away Champions League win

Arsenal’s injury problems have continued to ease ahead of their return to Champions League action, with Kieran Tierney available to play against Sporting Lisbon.

Martin Odegaard shone in that fixture in only the influential Arsenal captain’s second start since returning from an ankle injury, while Declan Rice was also fit enough to be included in the matchday squad after withdrawing from England duty with a knock.

With no further injuries suffered against Forest, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are now Arsenal’s only known absentees, with the former set for months on the sidelines after undergoing a knee operation last week.

Tomiyasu, meanwhile, remains some way off a return having missed the first two months of the season with his own knee issue and then suffered a setback following just one late substitute cameo against Southampton in early October.

While neither White nor Tomiyasu will be in any position to play against Sporting as Arsenal aim for their first away Champions League win for more than a year in the Portuguese capital, fellow defender Tierney is now back in contention.

The Scotland left-back has been sidelined ever since being stretchered off while playing for his country in their Euro 2024 group stage clash with Switzerland in Germany back in June.

Forgotten man: Kieran Tierney has not played for Arsenal since the summer of 2023

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

However, Tierney has been working hard on his recovery and is now available for selection, having been deemed not ready to be considered for involvement against Forest despite returning to full team training at London Colney last week.

“Everyone who is in the squad is fully fit to start the game,” Arteta said when asked for a team news update during his pre-Sporting press conference held at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Monday night.

“We have Kieran Tierney with us after a long injury. It’s great news that he is back, he’s been training with us and he is available to participate.”

Tierney’s next action for Arsenal will be his first since the Community Shield in August 2023, having been sent out on loan to LaLiga side Real Sociedad for the majority of last season after tumbling down the defensive pecking order under Arteta.

The former Celtic favourite has not played a Premier League game since May of last year, with many believing that he would have left Arsenal on a permanent basis over the summer were it not for his latest injury setback.

However, with Arsenal currently shorter on full-back options than they would like with no White or Tomiyasu, plus with Jakub Kiwior having largely failed to convince when called upon, he may yet get an opportunity to stake his claim. Arteta switched the versatile Jurrien Timber from left-back to right-back to cover for the absence of White against Forest, with the fit-again Calafiori slotting in on the left of defence.

Arteta’s confirmation of everyone in the travelling squad being fit to play is also good news for Rice, who remained an unused substitute at the weekend after pulling out of England’s recent Nations League games along with Saka.

Arsenal’s defence will come up against a striker in red-hot form when they take on Sporting on Tuesday, with the hosts’ attack led by Viktor Gyokeres - a player linked with Arsenal among a whole host of other Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea.

The former Coventry frontman has notched 24 goals in just 19 appearances across all competitions so far this term for an in-form team formerly managed by new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim and now under the leadership of the promoted former B coach Joao Pereira, including a memorable hat-trick as Manchester City were stunned 4-1 in Lisbon earlier this month.

Asked if Gyokeres summed up the modern centre-forward, Arteta said only: “I understand the question but they have a lot of individual qualities. That’s why they can win games in various ways. And yes in the specific position they have great players.”

Pressed on how tough a challenge Arsenal centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba had coming up against Gyokeres, he added: “Yeah for the whole team because obviously when you look at the numbers, they produce in the domestic league and the Champions League at home, where they have won every game and scored always at least a goal, is something that we have to really avoid.

“So we’re going to have to be really consistent and efficient to try to prevent that from happening.”