Mikel Arteta expected to bring two Arsenal players into his starting line-up vs Atalanta tonight - Sky journalist

Mikel Arteta is expected to make two changes to his Arsenal side for their Champions League opener against Atalanta.

Arsenal could be without five players for tonight’s clash with Atalanta, as Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Martin Odegaard and Kieran Tierney weren’t present in training.

Of course, Martin Odegaard won’t feature for a long while after suffering a significant injury, but Merino is making progress and could return to action soon.

Mikel Arteta has the opportunity to mix things up in the Champions League, with players like Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz potentially needing a rest ahead of Manchester City.

A number of youngsters, including Ethan Nwaneri, have travelled to Italy, so perhaps he could start.

However, it appears as if two different players are set to be called upon to start vs Atalanta…

Sky Sports journalist says Arteta is set to bring in two players for Arsenal vs Atalanta

Declan Rice’s return to the side will fill a gap, but Arteta could decide to stick with Jorginho after a display that impressed Alan Shearer.

Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling are two players who haven’t had much game time so far this season due to fitness and injury issues.

And, when speaking on Sky Sports News, Gary Cotterill stated that he expects both Sterling and Jesus to start.

“‘I expect Raheem Sterling to start, whether or not it’s for Saka or Martinelli. And Gabriel Jesus to start up front because of his Champions League pedigree.”

How have Jesus and Sterling fared so far this season?

Gabriel Jesus suffered a groin injury earlier on in the season which saw him miss a number of games before returning in the North London derby.

He’s yet to get off the mark in the Premier League but only has 15 minutes to his name.

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling has been working on his fitness after joining in the summer transfer window.

The Englishman made his debut at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium with a ten-minute display and showed moments of promise to be fair to him.

Both Jesus and Sterling can cause any team problems on their day, and getting minutes tonight against Atalanta will get them more valuable minutes under their belts ahead of Manchester City.