October 3, (THEWILL) – Arsenal’s preparations for their UEFA Champions League clash away to RC Lens have faced major disruption due to significant delays in their journey to France.
The Gunners squad had been scheduled to fly out from Luton Airport to Lille on Monday afternoon, ahead of Tuesday’s group stage match. However, adverse weather conditions resulted in a five-hour delay to their flight, meaning the team did not land in France until late on Monday evening. The delayed arrival, just hours before the scheduled pre-match press conference, has hampered Arsenal’s plans.
Manager Mikel Arteta will have had limited time to prepare his players tactically and physically for the important European tie. The Gunners have made an impressive start to the new UCL campaign, emphatically beating PSV Eindhoven 4-0 in their opening fixture last month. Arsenal are eager to build on that result and establish themselves at the top of Group B, which also includes UEFA Europa League specialists Sevilla.
In addition to the travel disruption, Arsenal have Thomas Partey concerns. He was not expected to feature against Lens. However, Arteta suggested the Ghanaian could now play some part in the match due to his progress in training over the past week. Arsenal’s squad depth will be tested, with fellow midfielder Martin Odegaard also a doubt through injury. New signing Declan Rice has impressed since his big-money summer arrival and will likely start in central midfield.
Lens could prove tricky opposition on home soil, having finished as high as 2nd in Ligue 1 last season. Arsenal will be targeting maximum points to boost their qualification hopes before facing PSV again in their next European match. Arteta will be hoping his players can overcome their disrupted preparations and start strongly at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. They are unbeaten in seven EPL games this season as they continue their UCL return after a six-year absence.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
