Three Arsenal stars at risk of Champions League ban as Mikel Arteta faces bold PSV team decision

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Arsenal return to the Champions League in midweek for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 encounter with PSV Eindhoven.

The Gunners hold a comfortable advantage, having beaten PSV 7-1 in the first leg in a rout at the Phillips Stadion.

As they host the second match at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, Arsenal will be looking to avoid one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history to confirm a place in the quarter-finals.

Mikel Arteta faces a slight challenge in finding a balance between who to play and who to rest for such a fixture.

There is another thing hanging over the head of the Arsenal manager, which is in relation to disciplinary concerns.

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Raheem Sterling, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Martinelli face Champions League yellow card ban

As Arsenal prepare for their clash with PSV Eindhoven, one thing they will want to be wary of is their discipline.

Too many times this season Mikel Arteta has seen red cards and suspensions impact his side, making them weaker than they perhaps should be.

It’s something he will have to keep in mind when it comes to the Champions League suspension rules coming up.

The rules state that once a player reaches three yellow cards in the campaign, they will receive a one-match ban.

That Champions League yellow card rules aren’t wiped clean until the semi-final stage, meaning there are a few players walking suspension tightropes for Arsenal for a possible three games.

Those players are Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber, who all have two yellow cards each in the competition.

Should they pick up one more, the trio would be banned for the first leg of the quarter-final.

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Mikel Arteta faces a selection dilemma for Arsenal vs PSV

There is a huge dilemma for Arteta to deal with when it comes to his team selection to take on PSV as a result.

While the wise thing to do would be to avoid putting Timber, Martinelli or Sterling at risk of suspension by playing them, there are question marks over the games ahead too.

If the trio were to pick up yellow cards in the quarter-finals, they could miss the second leg or even the semi-final.

That in itself is another risk, though it’s one that may need to be taken to try and win the Champions League.

It remains to be seen whether the manager starts those who are on a suspension tightrope or not.