Arsenal faces a tricky Champions League group stage match against Slavia Prague at the Fortuna Arena today, November 4, 2025, at 5.45pm GMT. The Gunners are aiming to maintain their perfect record in the competition, but they will have to do so without key forward Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres sustained a muscle injury during Arsenal's 2-0 win against Burnley over the weekend and was forced off at half-time. Manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his concern, stating that Gyokeres "hasn't had many muscular issues". The extent of the injury is still being evaluated, but he is definitely unavailable for the Slavia Prague match.
Gyokeres joins a growing list of absentees for Arsenal, with several other first-team players sidelined. Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard and Noni Madueke are all out with knee injuries. Gabriel Martinelli is still recovering from a muscular issue. Martin Zubimendi is suspended for the match.
Despite the mounting injury woes, Arsenal will be looking to secure their fourth consecutive Champions League victory. The Gunners have been in impressive form, winning their last nine matches in all competitions. They are currently sitting at the top of the Premier League table and are one of only five teams in the Champions League to have a 100% record after three games.
Slavia Prague, on the other hand, are still searching for their first win in the Champions League this season. The Czech champions have drawn twice and lost once in their opening three matches. In their most recent Champions League match, they managed a 0-0 draw away to Atalanta. In the Czech First League, Slavia Prague secured a 2-0 victory against Baník Ostrava in their last game.
Mikel Arteta will have to shuffle his squad to compensate for the absentees. Mikel Merino is a likely replacement for Gyokeres upfront. Other options include Leandro Trossard, who can play centrally, and young players like Andre Harriman-Annous and Max Dowman. Christian Nørgaard may step into midfield in place of the suspended Martin Zubimendi.
Slavia Prague will be without several players as well, including Tomáš Holeš, Ivan Schranz, and Jindřich Staněk. Petr Ševčík, Ondřej Kolář and Lukáš Vorlický are ineligible, while Igoh Ogbu and David Doudera are also likely to miss out.
Predicted Lineups:
- Slavia Prague (4-4-2): Jakub Markovic, Tomas Vlcek, David Zima, Stepan Chaloupek, David Doudera, Christos Zafeiris, Michal Sadilek, Youssoupha Sanyang, Lukas Provod, Tomas Chory, Vasil Kusej.
- Arsenal (4-2-3-1): David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Noergaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Mikel Merino.
Arsenal's strong squad depth should allow them to overcome the challenges posed by the injuries. However, Slavia Prague will be eager to secure their first win in the competition, making this a potentially difficult match for the Gunners.
