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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faces a crucial match in his bid to leave the club on a high after over two decades in charge when they welcome Atletico Madrid in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.
The Frenchman, 68, announced last week that he would step down at the end of the campaign after a drop-off in results in recent years and fan protests.
Lifting a European title, with Arsenal only previously having won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994, would be a fitting finale for one of the great coaches in the game and it would also herald a Champions League spot for Arsenal.
Their chances of returning to the Champions League via the Premier League are all but over with the Londoners labouring in sixth place.
With a Europa League final against Marseille or Salzburg on the cards, the Atletico tie is arguably the toughest ask but Arsenal players want to honour their outgoing manager.
“His story is unique so we want to give him the best possible send off because in one way we are responsible for the situation as well,” club captain Per Mertesacker told reporters this week.
“We have to respect Atletico. They have reached Champions League finals in recent years so we need to respect especially the home game on Thursday. I would love not to concede in that game to put ourselves in the best possible position.”
Wenger will hope to have Mesut Oezil, Petr Cech and Jack Wilshere available for the clash after all three missed the 4-1 win over West Ham at the weekend with minor injuries.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone is among those to have been linked in the media with the Arsenal job and the Argentinian may also feel he is coming to the end of an era with the Spanish side.
Fernando Torres leaves at the end of the season and media reports say Antoine Griezmann could join Barcelona. It makes the Europa League extra special for Atletico too, given they won this competition in 2010 and 2012.
Simeone included Diego Costa in his squad to face Arsenal despite appearing to rule him out of the game when he spoke at the weekend.
On Saturday, Simeone had said: “The doctors will be well informed but I think he has very little chance to play Thursday. He will be fit for the second leg but I don’t think he has much chance of playing the first game.”
The former Chelsea forward did not join full training on Tuesday but he was in Simeone’s group of 20 players who made the trip to London.
Costa strained his left hamstring against Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-final second leg two weeks ago and was left out of Sunday’s goalless draw with Real Betis.
French forward Kevin Gameiro partnered Griezmann in training for Atletico on Monday and looks favourite to start if Costa does not make the XI.
Elsewhere Simeone has everyone available apart from long-term absentee Felipe Luis. Lucas Hernandez will continue to deputize for the Brazilian left-back.
Marseille will hope the cauldron that is their Stade Velodrome will help them build a big lead against Salzburg, this season’s surprise packages having eliminated Borussia Dortmund and Lazio.
The French side have gone eight Europa League home games unbeaten but the sides met in the group stage and the Austrians took four points from the two games.
The second legs are on May 3.
dpa