Arsenal will return to the Champions League stage for the first time since the 2016/17 season next week when Mikel Arteta’s men host PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates
Cedric Soares is back at Arsenal after a loan spell at Fulham
Arsenal fans could have been forgiven for forgetting he was still at the club - but Cedric Soares has been named in Mikel Arteta’s 25-man squad for the Champions League this season.
The club are back dining at Europe’s top table for the first time in six years, and on Monday confirmed who had been selected for the group stages. The Gunners open their campaign at home to PSV Eindhoven next Wednesday, and will also face Lens and Sevilla in what appears a favourable draw.
Inevitably, there was no place in the squad for new signing Jurrien Timber, with the ex-Ajax man facing the prospect of missing the entire campaign with a serious knee injury. And that has seemingly opened the door for Portuguese defender Cedric Soares.
The 32-year-old made just two Premier League appearances for the club last season with the likes of Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu resigning him to an afterthought within the Arsenal squad. He was then loaned out to Fulham in January, and then only managed to feature in six matches for the Cottagers. And thus far, he’s yet to enjoy a single second of action for Arsenal this season either.
The former Southampton man initially joined Arsenal on loan in January 2020, making his move permanent at the end of that season. And despite playing 26 times in all competitions in the 2021/22 campaign, he’s failed to ever nail down a regular starting spot under Arteta.
Indeed, he was widely expected to leave the club after returning from Fulham this summer, but has remained in north London amid the injury to Timber. Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny is also included, despite being restricted to eight club appearances in 2022/23.
And notably, there is also a spot youngster Lino Sousa. The 18-year-old full back was an unused sub early on last season when Arsenal played Brentford, and then stepped into the first-team for some friendly matches during the World Cup, impressing against Lyon in particular.
Lino Sousa is yet to play for Arsenal’s first team (
Image:
David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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But with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney, and Takehiro Tomiyasu all in front of him, the West Brom Academy product was duly dealt a harsh reality and duly reintegrated back with the Under 18s squad. And Sousa was another player whose future appeared in the air this summer, having been tipped to go out on loan for first-team experience.
Like Soares however, he appears to have benefited from an apparent U-turn from his Spanish boss. Although whether either player is utilised in the Champions league remains to be seen.
Changes to the squad can be made before the round of 16 in February 2024, when clubs can register a maximum of three new players. However, these can only be replacements, as the maximum sqaad number will remain at 25.
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