Odegaard Boost for Arsenal as Gunners Battle Inter Tonight

*Ademola Lookman and Atalanta face Stuttgart test in Germany

Femi Solaja with agency report

Tonight in Italy, Arsenal will take on Inter Milan in continuation of their UEFA Champions League phase at the San Siro.

So far winning two and drawing one of their three Champions League matches, Mikel Arteta knows a win against the Serie A side will go a long way in helping the north Londoners finish in the top eight.

Interestingly, Arsenal have received a major boost with the return of their Norwegian captain Martin Odegaard to full training after two months out with an ankle injury.

The midfielder, 25, has been out since September, missing 12 games, after damaging his ankle ligaments on international duty.

He trained with the Arsenal squad yesterday before flying out to Milan.

Arsenal have picked up just one point out of a possible nine in their last three Premier League games after losses to Newcastle and Bournemouth and a hard-fought draw against Liverpool.

They struggled to create clear-cut chances against Newcastle and having their leader and one of their main creative outlets back will be a big boost.

However, England midfielder Declan Rice, 25, did not travelled with the Arsenal squad to Milan and will miss tonight’s match.

Elsewhere, Gian Piero Gasperini, feels giant-killers VfB Stuttgart represent ‘a real Champions League’ test, but one Atalanta are ready for with potentially a similar tactical approach to the one that let them beat Napoli at the weekend.

Atalanta will be away at the MHPArena in Stuttgart tonight at 20.00 GMT.

This is a tough test for La Dea, because Stuttgart shocked both Real Madrid and Juventus, while the Italians have ground to make up for after their disappointing 0-0 stalemate against Celtic.

Gasperini surprised Antonio Conte and Napoli on Sunday by resting Mateo Retegui, instead confusing their defenders with a versatile trio of Mario Pasalic, Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere, so will he do the same in Germany?

“We always play with three attacking players, but there is versatility within that structure. Last season, Teun Koopmeiners was the one who allowed us to vary our approach, now Pasalic is in that role, then we’ll see if Samardzic or Brescianini can do it too. We have alternatives, in any case.

UCL (Results)

PSV 4-0 Girona

Bratislava 1-4 Di’Zagreb

Bologna 0-1 Monaco

Dortmund 1-0 S’ Graz

Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig

Lille 1-1 Juventus

Liverpool 4-0 Leverkusen

R’Madrid 1-3 AC Milan

Sporting 4-1 Man City

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