{"id":986,"date":"2026-04-07T12:26:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T12:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=986"},"modified":"2026-04-07T12:26:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T12:26:45","slug":"sporting-cp-vs-arsenal-injury-news-as-eight-players-could-miss-champions-league-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=986","title":{"rendered":"Sporting CP vs Arsenal injury news as eight players could miss Champions League clash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_68255d\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Mikel Arteta has confirmed Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber will miss the Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon, with Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino also sidelined<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36976528\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Bukayo Saka\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976528.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Arsenal-FC-v-Bayer-04-Leverkusen-UEFA-Champions-League-202526-Round-of-16-Second-Leg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976528.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_Arsenal-FC-v-Bayer-04-Leverkusen-UEFA-Champions-League-202526-Round-of-16-Second-Leg.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976528.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_Arsenal-FC-v-Bayer-04-Leverkusen-UEFA-Champions-League-202526-Round-of-16-Second-Leg.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976528.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Arsenal-FC-v-Bayer-04-Leverkusen-UEFA-Champions-League-202526-Round-of-16-Second-Leg.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is still not ready to return from a hamstring injury\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is still not ready to return from a hamstring injury<cite aria-label=\"Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mikel Arteta has provided crucial Arsenal injury updates ahead of the Champions League quarter-final encounter with Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon. The away side have had fitness concerns surrounding Gabriel, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Piero Hincapie, Jurrien Timber and Leandro Trossard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Arteta revealed during Monday&#8217;s press conference that <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Bukayo Saka <\/strong>and <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Jurrien Timber <\/strong>will remain unavailable, with the duo staying in England and left out of the travelling party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;They haven&#8217;t travelled in yet, let&#8217;s see, hopefully they&#8217;re going to be ready for the weekend, if everything goes well,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That&#8217;s a massive boost because in recent days we&#8217;ve lost so many important players and that&#8217;s something that we need to change immediately.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_de167e\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Viktor Gyokeres &#8216;excited&#8217; to prove worth to Arsenal and down Sporting after bitter exit<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_de167e\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Mikel Arteta hits back at Arsenal&#8217;s critics with firm message before Sporting clash<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">God bless you<\/strong> and <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Mikel Merino<\/strong> will miss out for the fixture with their ongoing fitness concerns while there are question marks over <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Piero Hincapie&#8217;s<\/strong> involvement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Meanwhile, Gabriel, Rice and Trossard are all ready for the match, with Arteta confirming with a straightforward &#8216;yes, yes and yes&#8217;, when questioned about their availability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE!<a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mirrorfootballarsenal#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"> Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Viktor Gyokeres was understandably a major talking point, given he will face his former club. The Arsenal manager offered his perspective on the striker and the reasoning behind his acquisition too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I think he&#8217;s very excited,&#8221; the Gunners boss continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He&#8217;s full of gratitude for his time here. The way he talks about the club, the players, the staff, everybody around the club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;The experience that he had, how important that part of his journey in Sporting has been.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Gyokeres is anticipated to receive a cordial reception at Estadio Jose Alvalade, although his former colleague <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Nuno Santos<\/strong> will be unavailable as he remains sidelined with a thigh problem sustained against Alverca last month, a fixture in which he managed just 26 minutes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Ex-West Ham midfielder <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Luis Guilherme<\/strong> also picked up an injury in that encounter, damaging his foot.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"Factbox_factbox-container__hSMOa\" id=\"factbox\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Entering Factbox content\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36951233\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"factbox\" data-testid=\"factbox\">\n<h3 class=\"HeadingThree_heading-three__PBHLs Factbox_heading-three__NXU52 __className_7c3138\">Grand National 2026 Preview: 48-Page Guide with Tips, Runners &#038; Expert Analysis<\/h3>\n<div class=\"Factbox_content__xdMV8\">\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The 48-page guide to the 2026 Randox Grand National is packed with interviews, features, stats and all you need for the 178th running of the world&#8217;s greatest steeplechase &#8211; <a aria-label=\"click here to order your copy todayLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.regionalnewspapers.co.uk\/grand-national-preview-2026-5688-p.asp?utm_source=Grand+National+2026+-+All&amp;utm_medium=converse&amp;utm_campaign=Grand+National+2026&amp;utm_id=Grand+National+2026\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">click here to order your copy today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-36951232\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36951232\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36951232.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GRAND-NATIONAL-NO-BRANDING-1.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36951232.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_GRAND-NATIONAL-NO-BRANDING-1.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36951232.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_GRAND-NATIONAL-NO-BRANDING-1.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36951232.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GRAND-NATIONAL-NO-BRANDING-1.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Fotis Ioannidis<\/strong> is another notable absence, having been ruled out since January following a knee injury sustained in the League Cup fixture against Vitoria Guimaraes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">However, Lions boss Rui Borges has welcomed back Geovany Quenda after an almost four-month lay-off with a metatarsal fracture.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-36976529\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36976529\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.49\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Geovany Quenda\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976529.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_RB-Leipzig-v-Sporting-Clube-de-Portugal-UEFA-Champions-League-202425-League-Phase-MD7.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976529.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_RB-Leipzig-v-Sporting-Clube-de-Portugal-UEFA-Champions-League-202425-League-Phase-MD7.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976529.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_RB-Leipzig-v-Sporting-Clube-de-Portugal-UEFA-Champions-League-202425-League-Phase-MD7.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976529.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_RB-Leipzig-v-Sporting-Clube-de-Portugal-UEFA-Champions-League-202425-League-Phase-MD7.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Geovany Quenda is back fit for Sporting\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Geovany Quenda is back fit for Sporting<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Discussing his comeback this month, the 18 year old said: &#8220;I&#8217;m very happy to be back. I&#8217;m training with the rest of the team and I feel very good. Mentally, I&#8217;m always at 100 per cent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;All of the people who gave me strength have contributed greatly. We have goals to achieve and I have to do my best to help the team. We will continue working hard, because everything is possible. I think we will achieve our objectives.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Feq1SEG6mXDIZGTTnek7oz\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><em>Join our new WhatsApp community<\/em><\/a>  and receive your daily dose of <em>Mirror<\/em> <em>Football<\/em> content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don&#8217;t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you&#8217;re curious, you can read our <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reachplc.com\/site-services\/privacy-policy\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><em>Privacy Notice.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContentsEmbed_affiliate-contents-container__oTiet\" data-testid=\"affiliate-contents-embed\">\n<div data-testid=\"affiliate-content\" class=\"AffiliateContent_affiliate-content-container__10EX_ affiliate-content\">\n<p>Find the best flights and hotels for Champions League games<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-disclaimer__dG5ST\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-text__8nmDa\">This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. 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