Arsenal omit Timber from Champions League squad as starlet and outcast make reduce

Arsenal have left summer time signing Jurrien Timber out of their Champions League squad. Young left-back Lino Sousa has made the reduce, in addition to forgotten star Cedric Soares.

Arsenal are again within the group stage of the Champions League for the primary time since 2016. They face PSV Eindhoven on the Emirates every week on Wednesday as they give the impression of being to take their home type onto the continental stage.

Mikel Arteta needed to title a 25-man List A squad as per UEFA laws, eight of which must be domestically educated gamers. Timber has been excluded as he will not be match for the group stage. The £38million signing from Ajax suffered an anterior cruciate knee ligament on his Premier League debut towards Nottingham Forest.

Timber will be added to the squad after the January switch window if Arsenal make the knockout rounds. However, the chances are he wouldn’t be obtainable till the latter phases, if in any respect.

Arteta has needed to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcement. One participant who has benefited is 18-year-old academy star Sousa.

Sousa joined Arsenal from West Brom in January 2022 and has earned rave opinions whereas enjoying for the membership’s under-18 and under-21 sides. The teenager has usually educated with the primary workforce and was on the bench for the Premier League match at Brentford final season.

Portuguese compatriot Cedric can be named in Arteta’s squad. The 32-year-old has been out of the image since getting back from a mortgage spell at Fulham within the second half of final season.

Cedric didn’t journey on the pre-season tour to the USA and has been coaching away from the senior squad. But he did not discover a transfer through the summer time window and Arteta has recalled him from the wilderness for the group stage.

Arsenal’s Champions League squad in full: 

Goalkeepers: Aaron Ramsdale, David Raya, James Hillson

Defenders: Cedric, Lino Sousa, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Gabriel, Jakub Kiwior, William Saliba

Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny, Jorginho, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe

Forwards: Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus