Arsenal wobbling into Europe: injuries, fatigue and yellow-card danger before Brugge test

Arsenal approach their Champions League trip to Club Brugge with nerves jangling after a bruising run of domestic form. Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa not only dented their title charge but allowed Manchester City to creep within two points, piling fresh pressure on Mikel Arteta's side.

The stoppage-time blow from Emi Buendia capped a dismal spell: three losses in five league matches, and a team that looked like a serene frontrunner now suddenly feels fragile. A reunion with Unai Emery's Villa at the Emirates later this month looms large, but the immediate reality is an intense stretch - Wolves, Everton, Brighton, plus a League Cup quarter-final - beginning with a tricky stop in Bruges.

Arsenal remain favourites, though the situation is far from ideal. Several key players are unavailable and others have barely trained. Declan Rice's absence from Tuesday's open session raised eyebrows; the midfielder, who has featured in all 22 games this season, is now a serious doubt. He trained indoors with William Saliba and Leandro Trossard, but Arteta will not enjoy the latest reminder of how heavy the calendar has become - five games in 14 days have left visible marks.

Some strange Pep talk that is: "He should pee on his own", Guardiola tells struggling Alonso

With Arsenal perfect in the Champions League so far, the Brugge match provides a chance to secure early qualification, and perhaps spare Rice from further strain. Caution may be wise anyway: he is one booking away from a European suspension, as is Mikel Merino, who has played an oversized role this year as an improvised No. 9.

Both men are instrumental - Rice dominating midfield, Merino reinventing himself higher up - but both walk a disciplinary tightrope. Arteta now faces a delicate dilemma: rotate two of his most important players, or gamble and risk losing them for a monumental trip to the San Siro to face Inter.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Matchday 6

Tuesday

Kairat Almaty - Olympiacos 0-1 (0-0)

/Martins 73/

Bayern Munich - Sporting Lisbon 3-1 (0-0)

/Gnabry 65, Karl 69, Tah 77 - Kimmich 54 (og)/

Atalanta - Chelsea 2-1 (0-1)

/Scamacca 55, De Ketelaere 83 - Pedro 25/

Barcelona - Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 (0-1)

/Knauff 21, Kounde 50, 53/

Inter Milan - Liverpool 0-1 (0-0)

/Szoboszlai 88 pen/

Monaco - Galatasaray 1-0 (0-0)

/Balogun 68/

PSV Eindhoven - Atletico Madrid 2-3 (1-1)

/Til 10, Pepi 85 - Alvarez 37, Hancko 52, Sorloth 56/

St. Gilloise - Olympique Marseille 2-3 (1-2)

/Khalaili 5, 71 - Paixao 15, Greenwood 41, 58/

Tottenham - Slavia Prague 3-0 (1-0)

/Zima 26 og, Kudus 50 pen, Simons 79 pen/

Wednesday

20.45: (2.00) Qarabag (3.60) Ajax (4.00)

20.45: (1.45) Villarreal (4.50) Copenhagen (7.00)

23.00: (5.80) Athletic Bilbao (3.80) PSG (1.62)

23.00: (2.40) Benfica (3.40) Napoli (3.20)

23.00: (10.0) Club Brugge (5.20) Arsenal (1.37)

23.00: (1.28) Borussia Dortmund (6.00) Bodo/Glimt (9.50)

23.00: (1.18) Juventus (7.25) Pafos (15.0)

23.00: (3.10) Bayer Leverkusen (3.50) Newcastle (2.40)

23.00: (2.55) Real Madrid (3.85) Manchester City (2.65)

***odds are subject to change***