Key events
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall has been asked if the injuries inflicted upon Mead and Miedema have changed his recruitment plan for the winter window. He said: “Well it does a little bit. It makes the need for us to be more active in the January transfer window. I hope we can be active. It’s about finding the right players, but we have to take into consideration we’ve played 16 games here before Christmas. If we succeed in all the competitions that we’re in, I think we could end up playing 26 matches from January till May. With this of course, we need to have a squad that can handle playing 26 matches. We have a pretty limited amount of time so it’s an important transfer window.”
Miedema’s injury was confirmed as an ACL rupture this week which has dealt her and Arsenal a huge blow. The striker was playing some of her best football after returning from a break but her season has been cut short. Read all the details here:
A lovely fun fact for you, if Lyon fail to progress out of the group stage this evening they will become the first defending champions of the women’s competition not to make it to the knock-out stage.
Arsenal have already secured their spot on the quarter-finals no matter the result this evening but the other club going through in the group is yet to be decided. Whoever wins between Juventus and Lyon will secure their spot in the knock-out round. If the sides draw it will be Lyon who progress, what a shock it will be if the defending champions are knocked out in the group stage! That match kicks off at 5.45pm too so I will keep you updated with that score throughout the evening.
The team news is here!
Zurich have made four changes from their defeat to Juventus last week.
Zurich have named: Romero; Riesen, Stierli, Vetterlein, Mégroz; Dubs, Rey, Markou, Pinther; Pilgrim, Humm.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have made two changes from their match against Lyon with Maritz and Rafaelle comign in for Wienroither and Miedema.
Arsenal starting XI: Zinsberger; Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Rafaelle, Catley; Williamson, Wälti, Maanum; McCabe, Blackstenius, Foord.
Preamble
Welcome back to our Women’s Champions League coverage and tonight we have Zurich hosting Arsenal. The Gunners will be aiming to finish the group stage top of their group and all they need to do this evening is beat Zurich to claim the spot. If they do draw this evening they will need Lyon to lose to Juventus to claim top spot.
In the reverse fixture, Arsenal defeated Zurich 3-1 in a much closer match than expected. But Jonas Eidevall’s team will head into the match as favourites to take all three points.
And while Arsenal can welcome some stars back into the fold following injury, they will have to compete the final group game without star striker Vivianne Miedema. She ruptured her ACL in their last Champions League match against Lyon and is likely to miss the rest of the season.
So who has been named in both teams? News is out so stay tuned ahead of kick-off at 17.45pm GMT.