Arsenal will definitely be without one player for their next Champions League encounter against Slavia Prague and it has nothing to do with an injury.
The Gunners made it three straight wins in the competition’s league phase on Tuesday night with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid – a match that was seen as a potentially difficult test at the Emirates Stadium.
After a goalless first half, Arsenal blitzed through Atleti with four unanswered goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and then a brace from Viktor Gyokeres.
It leaves the Gunners third in the table, behind only last season’s finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan in the early stages.
Manager Mikel Arteta is already dealing with a number of injury concerns, with captain Martin Odegaard and frontmen Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz sidelined.
Unlike last year, however, Arsenal are managing, so far, to deal with those injury issues and are well set in both the Premier League and Champions League.
Games come thick and fast, with Crystal Palace at home in the Premier League this weekend before a Carabao Cup fourth round enoucnter with Brighton & Hove Albion next midweek. Then it’s Burnley in the Premier League before a trip to Czechia to face Slavia Prague on matchday four of the Champions League.
Martin Zubimendi will not travel with the squad for that clash in Prague, having picked up a yellow card in the game with Atletico Madrid, meaning he is suspended for the trip.
What are the rules around yellow cards in this year’s competition?
Article 63.02 of the UEFA Champions League rules states: “As from the first match in the league phase, players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions, that did not result in a red card, as well as after any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc).
“In addition, all yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals.”
Zubimendi was booked against both Athletic Club and Olympiacos and received his third caution against Atletico, meaning he will be suspended for the next match. That may not end up being a bad thing, with the Spaniard to miss Slavia Prague, but return in time for arguably Arsenal’s toughest test of the league phase against Bayern Munich on November 26.
Declan Rice was another who had two yellow cards already heading into the clash with Atleti, but did not receive a booking during the 90 minutes and will therefore walk something of a tightrope again if he plays against Slavia Prague in the hope that he does not pick up another and miss the Bayern clash.