Arsenal fans have just discovered that a long-forgotten player is set to make his first start for the club in almost two years against Monaco.
Arsenal fans have just realized that a long-overlooked player is set to make his first start for the club in nearly two years due to an ongoing injury crisis.
After a disappointing 1-1 draw with Fulham over the weekend, Arsenal face Ligue 1 side Monaco at the Emirates in the Champions League on Wednesday. Currently sitting seventh in the group with 10 points after five games, the Gunners will be looking to bounce back.
However, their preparations are overshadowed by significant injury issues, particularly at left-back. Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riccardo Calafiori, and Gabriel Magalhaes all missed Tuesday’s training session and are major doubts for the match. This string of injuries opens the door for Kieran Tierney, a player many may have forgotten is still with the club.
Tierney, a £25 million signing from Celtic in 2019, hasn’t started for Arsenal since May 2023 in a 3-0 loss to Brighton. His last appearance came as a brief substitute in the Community Shield against Manchester City before spending the 2023/24 season on loan at Real Sociedad, where he made 26 appearances. The Scotland international suffered a hamstring injury during Euro 2024 but was a surprise inclusion in Arsenal’s Champions League squad in September.
Now, that decision appears to be paying off, with Mikel Arteta ready to reintegrate him. “He is ready, he’s training really well, and he’s going to have an opportunity for sure,” Arteta confirmed. “Given the team’s situation and the effort he’s shown, he has earned this chance.”
With Tierney potentially starting, Arsenal’s defensive options remain limited, with William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior likely to be the only other fit senior defenders available. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both long-term absentees. Tierney has made 124 appearances for Arsenal, winning the FA Cup and two Community Shields during his time at
the club.
