Arsenal handed major Champions League boost after Athletic Club admission

Ahead of Arsenal's opening Champions League match of the season against Athletic Club, the Spanish side's head coach has outright admitted Europe is not their primary focus this season.

Just as they did last season, the Gunners will be hoping they can fight for silverware on multiple fronts deep into the campaign. The difference is Mikel Arteta now has the added experience to make it a success this time around.

The Champions League gets underway for 2025/26 this week with the league phase, and Arsenal will aim to go beyond the semi-final stage and win the entire competition for the first time in the club's history.

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It will be a step-by-step process, beginning with a visit to the Estadio San Mames, Bilbao, to face off against Athletic Club.

The La Liga outfit have not played in the Champions League since the 2014/15 campaign. After losing 1-0 to Alaves in domestic action days before the match against the Gunners, their head coach Ernesto Valverde went on to say that he will not be placing much emphasis on European football this season.

"It's not something we're worried about, it's something we have to live with and compete for," he told Marca.

"Winning La Liga is very difficult, but winning the Champions League for us, I don't even know what it can be. Our primary objective is La Liga, and then we'll compete at our best in the rest.

"La Liga is what tells you how you're doing, and today we weren't that good.

"On Tuesday we played a contender to win the Champions League, and we're newcomers to the competition. And these three points against Alaves won't come back."

Athletic were also missing seven players for their latest La Liga fixture due to injuries or suspensions.

Aymeric Laporte and Izeta are labelled inactive, as they need to build up fitness after returning to the club this summer.

Benat Prados Diaz, Inigo Lekue, and Unai Egiluz all have injuries, whilst Yeray Alvarez is not playing at the moment because of a doping allegation.

But the biggest issue for the Spaniards is the muscle injury of winger Nico Williams, who has stepped into a talismanic role in recent years.

Ahead of Arsenal, Valverde said: "I'd like to have him in at least one of these seven-match stretches, but I don't know. It will depend on how the injury progresses."