Player who last played for Arsenal in 2023 has suddenly been included in Arteta’s Champions League squad

Arsenal have announced their Champions League squad for the 2024/25 season.

The Gunners made it all the way into the quarter-final of Europe’s most prestigious club competition last term, which is not a bad achievement at all.

Mikel Arteta will be desperate to go a few steps further this campaign, and the Arsenal manager definitely has the squad to achieve something special.

On Wednesday, Arsenal announced their 23-man squad for this season’s Champions League, and a surprise name has been included in the list.

Arsenal name Kieran Tierney in their Champions League squad

Kieran Tierney was expected to leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window.

The Scot was sent out on a season-long loan to Real Sociedad in the summer of 2023, a few weeks after he made his final appearance for the Gunners in the Community Shield.

Tierney had a decent spell in Spain, but injuries troubled him there as well. To make things worse, he suffered another issue over the summer that has kept him on the sidelines until now.

That ruined any chance of a transfer during the window, so Tierney has stayed at the Emirates and is working his way back to full fitness.

Nobody expects Tierney to play any part in Arsenal’s first team this season, but to everyone’s surprise, Arteta has named him in his 23-man Champions League squad.

The Gunners begin their European campaign against Atalanta on the Thursday after the North London Derby, just three days before the huge game against Manchester City.

As for Tierney, he has started individual sessions again, and it will be interesting to see what Arteta will do with him once he’s back in full training.

Arsenal’s full 23-man Champions League squad

Tierney is the only surprise in an otherwise expected Arsenal squad for this season’s Champions League.

New signings Neto, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Raheem Sterling have all been included in the squad, as has young Tommy Setford as the third goalkeeper.

Arsenal look particularly light in midfield, with just five players named in that position, but that opens the door for players like Jurrien Timber to play as a number six if really required.

There will also be a B list which will see young players like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly among others make it in.

Here’s Arsenal’s Champions League A list squad for the 2024/25 season:

Goalkeepers: David Raya, Neto, Tommy Setford

Defenders: William Saliba, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori

Midfielders: Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Mikel Merino, Declan Rice

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling