FLYING SQUAD

BUKAYO SAKA was told to hop on the plane to Holland despite missing training with a foot injury as Mikel Arteta fights to keep his team spirit intact.

- MATTHEW DUNN

The defeat to Aston Villa after five successive wins came as something of a shock and cost Arsenal their top spot in the Premier League.

There is no danger of that happening in Europe, however, with top spot in Group B already secured.

But even though Saka has been struggling with injury of late, Arteta has come to Eindhoven with nearly all his big names.

"We have five or six big injuries so we are already a bit thin," he said. "I don't know in another context what I would have done but I also want everyone together with the mentality to win. I want to see that in their tummies.