Arsenal face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final over two legs in April, and they could be handed a huge boost ahead of the tie.
The Gunners are essentially out of the Premier League title race, with Liverpool sitting 12 points above Mikel Arteta’s side with nine games left to play.
Thus, attention will inevitably turn to Europe’s elite competition, as it’s the only piece of silverware the North Londoners realistically have left to compete for.
Real Madrid will be favourites heading into the encounter, given their European pedigree and Arsenal’s lack of forward options.
UEFA investigating four Real Madrid players ahead of Arsenal Champions League clash
Bukayo Saka is expected to return for the Real Madrid clash at the Emirates, although the winger’s availability may not be the only piece of good team news for the Gunners heading into the tie.
According to Simon Collings of the Standard, UEFA have appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of ‘indecent conduct’ by four Real Madrid players during their Champions League match with Atletico Madrid.
The four players in question include potent attackers Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, former Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos, and defensive stalwart Antonio Rudiger.
It’s not yet clear what incident exactly the allegations are referring to, although the second leg of the Spanish capital derby did see tempers flare at various points.
It’s understood that a ban could be implemented on one or more of these players, which would impact the first leg against Arsenal.
Arsenal fans call for two-match Champions League ban for Real Madrid stars
Mbappe has a close relationship with Arsenal’s William Saliba, and the pair’s individual battle was set to be one of the fascinating match-ups in the Champions League showdown.
This contest may now not take place, at least for one of the two legs, with the Frenchman at risk of missing the trip to N5.
This is what Arsenal fans are calling for, anyway, with many Gunners supporters taking to X to express their thoughts on the investigation.
One fan wrote: “2 match UEFA suspensions all round seems like the reasonable response.”
Another added: “Two game bans seems a fitting punishment imo.”
Meanwhile, one supporter went a step further, writing: “Ban them all till next season.”
If all four players are banned for the clash in Islington, Arsenal should be in the driving seat.
The four absentees would severely deplete Real Madrid up-front, and the Gunners would arguably never have a better opportunity to beat the Spanish giants.
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