Mikel Arteta confirmed on the eve of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg that Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz are fit enough to be included in the squad for tomorrow’s match against Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium.
The tie is level after a 1-1 draw in Spain last week, a result that left both clubs staring at a one-match route to a first European final for Arsenal in 20 years. Arteta told reporters: "They are available, they are in the squad, both of them." He added: "Great, because we need options, we need the capacity to play different games tomorrow, whether it's from the start or after. So it's really, really good news for us to have them both back."
The availability is notable because both players missed the first leg in Madrid. Odegaard was forced off after an hour in that match when an ongoing knee issue flared up, while Havertz had earlier pulled up in the 1-0 win over Newcastle with a muscular problem. Both men were also absent from Arsenal’s open training session ahead of the second leg, along with Jurrien Timber.
Arteta did use the training absences to put Timber’s situation in perspective. Timber has not featured since the League Cup final on 22 March, and Arteta said the defender "was doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment but needed to do more before he could compete." The manager also confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie are now both available, a pairing he described as useful because they are "very different" and that "we've rarely had both of them available at the same time for long periods so we're more restricted in terms of the opponent and the connection that we're going to generate throughout the game or with the teammates to choose from there. Now they are both available and that's a great option because they are, as you said, so different."
Arteta underlined the stakes of the occasion repeatedly. "I can't wait. I mean, I feel the energy in and amongst the team, our supporters, so these are the moments that we want to live together," he said, later adding: "We had a lot of work as a club, as a team, after 20 years to be in this position again, and we are so hungry to get a game that we want tomorrow and go through to the final." He finished his rallying call with a challenge: "I think it's the occasion, it's the moment, it's the game. Let's live this together and let's make it happen. Go and grab it. When you are in front of such an opportunity, it means that you are ready to deliver, and the team is going to go from the first minute to go and get that."
The squad news comes amid a season of heavy use; Arteta noted the campaign has already stretched to 58 matches, a load that makes fresh options important. Bukayo Saka was described as being in top condition, and the return of Odegaard and Havertz gives Arsenal greater tactical flexibility for a match that could be won or lost on fine margins.
But the situation is not without risk. Odegaard’s knee problem recurred after around one hour in Madrid and Havertz’s recent muscular concern followed him into the buildup; both absences from the open session underline that availability on a team sheet does not guarantee 90 minutes on the pitch. Mikel Merino remains a long shot for the run-in after surgery on a fractured foot sustained in January, leaving Arsenal to manage their resources carefully as the season reaches its climax.
The single question that will decide whether Arteta’s optimism is rewarded is whether the returning names can stay fit and influence a high-stakes game: if Odegaard and Havertz can sustain their returns and Timber can progress from partial work on the pitch to full match readiness, Arsenal will have the personnel to press for the final; if not, the club’s long pursuit of a European final after two decades will hinge on how well the available players cope with the pressure.
