Five Arsenal players to be given chance vs PSV as Mikel Arteta faces major Tottenham headache

With the North London Derby just around the corner, Mikel Arteta has several team selection dilemmas ahead of Arsenal's opening Champions League group stage clash against PSV. The Gunners will welcome Peter Bosz's side to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening in what is expected to be a blockbuster tie.

While Arteta will be keen to mark the club's long-awaited return to the competition with a win, he'll also be eager to protect the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba for what will be a fiery affair with Tottenham. Ahead of the clash against PSV, the Arsenal boss admitted that pride is on the line too.

The Gunners failed miserably in the Europa League last term, losing to Sporting, Villarreal and Olympiacos. Arteta said: «Every day you have something to prove. It's the sport, that's the thing, tomorrow we have to prove.

»I have to prove that we have prepared in the best possible way. And we are giving the players the best possible chance to win the game, that's the reality in the sport."

So, with Arteta juggling the Gunners' priorities, football.london have taken a look at the four players who could be given the chance to impress – and maybe even force themselves into the starting lineup at the weekend.

Emile Smith Rowe

Since making his return from injury, Smith Rowe has rarely had a look in so he'll be hoping for regular appearances in the cup competitions, like the Champions League, this season. The 23-year-old is an incredible talent who also offers Arteta plenty of tactical options – he just needs a run of games to pick up from where he left off as one of England's top attacking midfielders.

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