Recent results depict Schalke and Arsenal as teams going in different directions, but a repeat of the weekend’s results for both teams would be a surprise. Die Königsblauen might experience a bit of a hangover from Saturday’s Revierderby triumph, while the Gunners should be motivated to improve after their loss to Norwich.
Arsenal vs. Schalke 04, 2012 UEFA Champions League: Preview and TV schedule
Schalke are flying high after a derby win, while Arsenal disappointed their fans in an upset loss this weekend. Could both sides’ fortunes get reversed on Wednesday?
Alex Grimm
However, motivation won’t matter too much if the Gunners don’t have great players on the pitch. Arsenal have sufficient depth to field a solid starting XI on Wednesday, but their bench will be painfully thin thanks to an incredible 11-man injury list, though a few of those players could potentially make the bench. Meanwhile, Schalke have an almost completely clean bill of health.
Arsenal injuries and suspensions
Out: Wojciech Szczęsny (ankle), Łukasz Fabiański (back), Theo Walcott (lung), Kieran Gibbs (thigh), Abou Diaby (thigh), Tomáš Rosický (tendon), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hip), Jack Wilshere (fitness). In Doubt: Laurent Koscielny (back), Emmanuel Frimpong (knee), Bacary Sagna (leg).
Schalke 04 injuries and suspensions
Out: Kyriakos Papadopoulos (illness).
Surely there actually is something to the 'Arsenal DNA' joke and the man who brought modern nutrition and fitness training to English football doesn't actually have a bad training staff. Does back luck even explain Arsenal's injury list, and how it swells this large every single season? It's absolutely incredible. Schalke are waiting on Papadopoulos to recover from an illness, while Julian Draxler returns from a broken arm.
Match Date/Time: 7:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, England
TV: FOX Sports regional networks (U.S.), Sky Sports 4 (U.K.), Sportsnet One (Canada),Sky Go (Germany).
Online: FOX Soccer 2 Go (U.S.), Sportsnet World Online (Canada)
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