Saka, Partey Back for Arsenal Clash with Lens Tonight

*Ancelotti admits Real Madrid trip to Napoli tricky one

Bukayo Saka is available for Arsenal’s Champions League trip to Lens tonight, despite limping off injured in the win at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The forward is joined in the squad by midfielder Thomas Partey, who has been out since August with a groin injury.

The Gunners were forced to cancel their pre-match news conference due to travel delays on the eve of the match.

Their chartered flight was grounded for three hours at Luton because of bad weather.

Arsenal are currently top of Group B on their Champions League return after a six-year absence, following the 4-0 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven in their opening match.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are set to play one of the best teams in Italy in what promises to be their toughest group-stage game, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday ahead of their Champions League clash.

LaLiga leaders Real began their quest for a record-extending 15th European Cup with a last-gasp 1-0 home victory over Union Berlin last month, while Italian champions Napoli, who are currently third in Serie A, won 2-1 at Sporting Braga.

Tonight’s clash at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium could be pivotal to both sides’ aims of taking top spot in Group C.

“We’ll play against one of the best teams in Italy. They did very well last year. It will be a competitive and evenly matched game as they have a high level,” Ancelotti, who once managed Napoli, told a news conference.

“It’s going to be the toughest game of the group stage for us. I don’t want to say that we’re used to it, but the shirt of this club weighs on us.”

The match will also see Ancelotti return to Naples after he managed 73 games at the club from 2018 to 2019, leading the team in an unbeaten run in the Champions League group stage before being sacked with the team in seventh place in Serie A.

TODAY

Copenhagen v B’Munich

Man Utd v Galatasaray 

Lens v Arsenal

PSV v Sevilla

U’Berlin v SC Braga

Napoli v  R’Madrid

Salzburg v Sociedad

Inter Milan v Benfica