There’s one Arsenal player that Club Brugge know all about ahead of the Gunners’ matchday six clash.
Amid a bustling schedule, Mikel Arteta’s side travel to Bruges in another Champions League showdown.
Club Brugge have won just two of their previous six matches in all competitions and sit 26th in the Champions League table at present.
Arsenal also head into the fixture unsatisfied with their form, having just suffered defeat to Aston Villa.
The Belgian side will still head into the match as firm underdogs; however, they’ll feel a slight boost because of one piece of news.
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Club Brugge are well aware of Leandro Trossard’s threat
At Villa Park, Arteta actioned a rare double substitution, as Leandro Trossard came off after being introduced from the bench.
The reason behind the substitution was that Arsenal are managing Trossard’s minutes as he has newly returned from injury.
As the Gunners continue to be cautious around Trossard’s fitness, it’s surely unlikely that he’ll start against Club Brugge, which will please the Belgian club.
Having played for Genk before moving to England, Club Brugge are more than aware of Trossard’s threat, and for good reason.
Rewinding back to the 2018/19 season, the Arsenal star recorded two goal contributions in his previous two appearances against Club Brugge.
Genk and Club Brugge clashed in the Jupiler Pro League Champions’ Play-Offs that season, and Trossard scored in a 3-1 win and assisted in a 3-2 loss.
Genk eventually won the title, with Club Brugge watching the celebrations that were heavily influenced by Trossard from afar.
That season, the 31-year-old contributed to 33 goals in all competitions for Genk, with few clubs wary of the danger he poses more than Brugge.
Mikel Arteta simply cannot give Trossard minutes against Club Brugge
At first, there was a fear that Trossard could miss weeks due to his injury, but fortunately, the winger is back in the fold already.
That being said, Arteta mustn’t be tempted to overload his 2023 signing with minutes so soon after his return.
What should Arsenal’s front three be vs Club Brugge?
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At Villa Park, Trossard didn’t look like his usual self, making his double substitution unsurprising.
It would be negligent for the Arsenal manager to unleash Trossard against Club Brugge when the Gunners have the room to rotate in attack.
On the left side, the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke are waiting patiently to earn the chance to impress, lowering the need to risk Trossard.
Club Brugge will approve of the decision to rest Trossard, who has inflicted enough pain on the Belgian club in his career.
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