Gunners armed for the road
Wenger to field strong side despite 4,000km trip to Belarus
PARIS: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he will field a strong side for today’s Europa League visit to BATE Borisov, despite a 4,000km round trip in the middle of a spell of three games in seven days.
The second round of groupstage matches also sees AC Milan visit Croatia’s Rijeka, Everton host Cypriots Apollon Limassol and Nice face Vitesse Arnhem, with 24 games in total.
Wenger hinted grudgingly that he would not make wholesale changes despite a visit to Brighton on Sunday, after club record signing Alexandre Lacazette scored twice in a 2- 0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Monday.
“We have to accept it, but I will go with a team of senior players, and certainly a young bench,” said the Frenchman, whose side came from behind to beat Cologne 3-1 in their opener.
“We play Monday night, we play in Borisov on Thursday, and we play Sunday morning. For the team selection it has an impact.”
Belarusian champions Borisov, who are unbeaten in their previous seven European home games and drew 1-1 at Red Star Belgrade in their first match, may have to face the likes of Lacazette and Alexis Sanchez.
Run ragged in a 3-0 defeat at Italian club Atalanta last time out in what coach Ronald Koeman called a “wake-up call”, Everton host Apollon, who held French outfit Lyon to a 1-1 draw two weeks ago.
The Liverpudlians can thank former outcast Oumar Niasse for their 2-1 win over Bournemouth at the weekend, as they rallied from a poor start to the season with the forward scoring twice as a substitute.
Seven-time European champions AC Milan are another misfiring team despite heavy investment from their new Chinese owners.
Coach Vincenzo Montella is under pressure to ring the changes after a 2-0 loss to Sampdoria, their second in the league this season.
“It’s not about finding who is to blame. The club management have just told me to intervene to ensure there are no more games like this,” he said after a meeting with his bosses on Monday.
Nice striker Balotelli scored his fifth goal in four games in a 2-2 draw with Angers on Friday, ahead of their game with Vitesse Arnhem, which sees close-season signing Wesley Sneijder return to Holland.
Balotelli scored twice as Lucien Favre’s side hammered Zulte Waregem 5-1 two weeks ago, after the disappointment of their Champions League playoff defeat by Napoli. — AFP