Arsenal include Havertz and Ødegaard

Arsenal got the update it badly wanted before Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final second leg — Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard were both back in the matchday squad after fitness scares. That matters because this tie is still wide open after the 1-1 first leg in Madrid, and Arsenal’s attack looked a lot thinner without them. The gap was simple: one is the captain and main creative reference point, the other gives Arteta a very different option up front. Now both are available again for the game at the Emirates. ### What actually changed? Mikel Arteta confirmed on Monday, May 4, that both players were available for the second leg. Havertz had missed the first leg against Atlético and also sat out Arsenal’s 3-0 weekend win over Fulham. Ødegaard went off in the first leg and then missed that Fulham match too. So this was not a routine squad list — it was a genuine late fitness boost before Arsenal’s biggest game of the season. ### Why is Ødegaard the bigger structural piece? Because Arsenal’s whole attacking rhythm tends to run through him. Ødegaard is the player who links the midfield to the right side, sets pressing triggers, and gives the team control when matches get frantic. Without him, Arsenal can still be dangerous, but the shape gets less clean and the passing sequences get less precise. In a second leg where one loose spell can decide everything, that control piece matters as much as any final-ball magic. ### And what does Havertz change? Havertz gives Arteta flexibility more than certainty. He can play as a forward, drop into midfield spaces, or help Arsenal press from the front in a more fluid way than a fixed No. 9. That is useful against Atlético because Diego Simeone’s team is comfortable defending deep and then turning one broken play into a chance. Havertz helps Arsenal vary the problem — more movement, more aerial presence, and another body who can arrive late into the box. ### What’s the state of the tie? It is level at 1-1 after the first leg on Wednesday, April 29. Viktor Gyökeres scored Arsenal’s penalty just before halftime, then Julián Alvarez equalized from the spot in the second half after a handball decision against Ben White. So Arsenal are not protecting a lead here. They are basically playing a one-game shootout at home for a place in the final. ### Does “in the squad” mean they start? Not necessarily. UEFA’s squad and line-up pages show availability, not guaranteed starts, and pre-match previews treated both players as major selection calls rather than certainties. That’s the catch with late returns — a player can be fit enough for the bench, or fit enough for 30 minutes, without being ready for 90 at full intensity. Arteta’s gain is optionality. Whether he gets full versions of both players is a different question. ### Why does this feel bigger than a normal injury update? Because Arsenal are chasing their first Champions League final since 2006. That turns every availability call into a leverage point. A captain returning changes the emotional tone. A versatile attacker returning changes the tactical menu. Against an Atlético side built to make knockout ties ugly, those margins are not cosmetic — they can be the whole story. ### So what’s the bottom line? This does not guarantee Arsenal go through. But it gives Arteta back two of the players most likely to calm the game down or tilt it. In a semi-final balanced at 1-1, that is exactly the kind of late team news that can swing the night.