The Gunners collapsed against Manchester City in the EFL Cup final before suffering a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final in what has been a tough few weeks for the side.
Now, Viktor Gyokeres returns to his old side as he makes his way back to Portugal in the hunt to book a place in the Champions League Semi Final.
Unfortunately for Sporting, captain Morten Hjulmand picked up a yellow card against Bodo/Glimt in their last European clash which was his fifth in the competition this season.
He must now serve a one-game suspension, meaning he will not be able to lead Sporting against Arsenal on Tuesday night in what is tough news to take for the Portuguese side who are already against the odds.
As Arsenal aim to reach the semi-finals in successive seasons, and only a fourth time overall, the news that Hjulmand cannot wear the armband in front of the home fans will be a major boost.
Three bookings in the UCL lead to one ban as every two subsequent cautions also trigger a suspension due to the limited amount of games in the competition.
This means Arsenal will have to be careful as another booking for Martin Zubimendi or Christian Norgaard against Sporting in either leg would earn them an automatic one-match ban.
Hjulmand has made 36 appearances in all tournaments this term, contributing two goals and five assists and will have to watch his side battle it out on the sidelines on Tuesday night.