The five Arsenal players missing from training before Atalanta clash with Martin Odegaard injury latest

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Arsenal have taken to the training pitch for the final time before they fly to Italy for their Champions League clash with Atalanta.

The Gunners make the trip to Bergamo in search of their first three points in the brand new Champions League league phase, which is a change from the original group stages.

Mikel Arteta will have to manage his squad effectively, with an increase in fixtures from six to eight, as well as some tougher opposition.

In Atalanta, Arsenal take on the previous winners of the Europa League, with a side who are more than capable of causing some problems.

While there was a boost with Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori taking part in training before the Champions League match, there were some big names missing too.

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Arsenal injury latest ahead of Atalanta in the Champions League

So while it appears that Calafiori and Saka are back in training, there was seemingly no sign of five players on the grass for Arsenal.

Those stars were Martin Odegaard (ankle), Mikel Merino (shoulder), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (thigh).

While Merino, Tierney and Tomiyasu have been long-term absentees, the lack of Odegaard and Zinchenko are more immediate blows.

Odegaard suffered an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway, limping off and unable to return in time for the North London Derby.

A report from the Evening Standard claims that the Arsenal captain has undergone several scans this past week as well as a specialist to help with the issue.

It likely rules him out of the Champions League tie, while there is a Premier League battle with Manchester City that he is looking to return for.

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Arsenal’s midfield options for Atalanta

While Odegaard is out, the return of Declan Rice from suspension comes as a huge boost to the side ahead of the tie on Thursday.

That bolsters some of those midfield options, though questions will still hang over which player could fill that clear gap in the attacking midfield position.

Raheem Sterling could be in line for a full debut there, while Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz or Gabriel Jesus could be battling for that position.

Youngster Ethan Nwaneri could also be in line for a potential start, though it may seem unlikely at this stage.