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  "path": "/2026/04/15/sporting-suffer-injury-blow-star-mikel-arteta-wanted-arsenal-ruled-27984895/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-15T11:30:52.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Arsenal transfer news",
    "Champions League",
    "Sporting Lisbon",
    "The Gunners have a slender 1-0 lead",
    "Lisbon",
    "Kai Havertz",
    "ahead of the return leg in the capital.",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "Bournemouth",
    "with a number of injury concerns to contend with.",
    "Sign up to our daily football newsletter",
    "Arsenal even agreed a £13m fee with the La Liga side",
    "Borussia Dortmund",
    "Chelsea",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Arsenal will have one less threat to worry about tonight (Picture: Getty)\n\nSporting CP will be without one of their first-team stars when they take on Arsenal in the Champions League tonight.\n\nThe Gunners have a slender 1-0 lead after their quarter-final first leg victory in Lisbon last week with Kai Havertz’s late goal leaving them in a commanding position ahead of the return leg in the capital.\n\nMikel Arteta’s side are reeling from a dismal defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend with a number of injury concerns to contend with.\n\nSporting will also be without the services of one key man with Ivan Fresneda not making the trip to London.\n\nThe 21-year-old was forced off at half-time on Saturday as a precautionary measure.\n\nWhile he was given the chance to prove his fitness this week, Sporing boss Rui Borges has opted to leave him back in Lisbon to avoid the risk of further aggravating the muscle issue.\n\n‘Iván has been an important player, he’s had a great season,’ Borges said.\n\n##  Get personalised football updates every day\n\nSign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more about your favourite team.\n\nArsenal once agreed a fee to sign Fresneda (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n‘Due to physical management, he’s not at 100%. We opted to leave him in Lisbon; he wasn’t in full condition to contribute, and tomorrow’s game demands everyone at 100%.’\n\nFresneda has made 39 appearances for Sporting this season and has started all but one of their Champions matches at right-back.\n\nThe Spain Under-21 international was a transfer target for the Gunners three years ago. Arsenal explored a move for the then-18-year-old in the January transfer window that year during his breakout season with Real Valladolid in Spain.\n\nArsenal even agreed a £13m fee with the La Liga side, seeing off interest from Borussia Dortmund who were also in the race for his signature.\n\nBorges will be without his regular right-back this evening (Picture: Getty)\n\nFresneda eventually turned down Arsenal’s offer with first-team opportunities key to his decision. He Later that year, he signed for Sporting despite interest from Chelsea that summer.\n\nElsewhere for Sporting, Belgian defender Zeno Debast and Joao Simoes, who started the first-leg in midfield, have travelled with the squad but are doubts\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Sporting suffer injury blow with star Mikel Arteta wanted at Arsenal ruled out"
}