Arsenal to host Real Madrid in Champions League quarterfinal first leg showdown

In the UEFA Champions League, injury layoffs are rarely welcomed by players, but Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka believes his enforced break could benefit him and his club as they prepare to face reigning titleholders Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarterfinal showdown.

Saka has emerged as arguably the most irreplaceable player in Mikel Arteta's squad, and while his return from a serious hamstring injury has probably come too late to salvage Arsenal's Premier League title hopes, European glory is a realistic aim.  

The 23-year-old forward missed England's opening two World Cup qualifiers last month, but scored upon returning for Arsenal in a Premier League win against Fulham last week. If the Gunners are going to stun Real Madrid, they will need Saka firing on all cylinders. His importance to the London side is underlined by his statistics this season. He has 10 goals and 14 assists in 26 matches in all competitions, including four goals in the Champions League.

Arsenal were stopped at the quarterfinal stage last year by Bayern Munich, while still running neck-and-neck with Manchester City, before ultimately coming up short in their battle for the Premier League title.

"Be super convinced. 8 p.m. tomorrow night, 11 players, 60,000 people, really super-convinced that we are ready to win and to beat them. That's the mindset that I want," said Arteta. "The rest, be the team that we've been over the last quarter of the season, with all the up and downs, and things that we have to deal with. Continue to do that because that's our super-strength."

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are facing Arsenal in the Champions League for the first time since 2006. The Spanish side will be hoping to avoid a repeat of that tie, which saw Thierry Henry's goal at the Bernabeu prove decisive in the round of 16. The Gunners went on to reach their first and only final in the competition, which they lost to Barcelona.

Both teams had weekends to forget in their domestic competitions, with Arsenal being held to a 1-1 draw at Everton, while Real lost further ground on Barca in La Liga's title race after falling 2-1 at home to Valencia.

"It may be that a lot of people have become tired. I don't think the most important person, [club] president Florentino Perez, is tired with me. That's all that matters," said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. "The most important thing is he is happy to be with me, he supports me, he helps me. This is what matters. As for the rest of them, there might be a lot that are very tired with me. What can change the dynamic is that the most important person at this club doesn't get tired of me."