Arsenal have suffered plenty of injuries this term, derailing their bid for the Premier League as Liverpool march towards the title.

However, their Champions League dream is very much alive, with the Gunners heading to Madrid to defend a 3-0 lead against the European champions following a dazzling display last week at the Emirates Stadium.

The last thing Arsenal need is more injuries, having lost Gabriel in recent weeks and only just welcomed Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka back to the first team.

But in training ahead of their huge clash against Real Madrid in midweek, one Gunners star may be counting himself lucky.

Arsenal preparing for quarter-final clash after magical first-leg display

Arsenal were underdogs heading into their quarter-final glamour tie with Real Madrid, who they hadn’t faced since 2006, when the Gunners prevailed 1-0 on aggregate on their way to the final.

A tense first half was then followed by an Arsenal masterclass, with two free-kicks from Declan Rice placing the tie in the Gunners’ favour.

Rice’s first saw the England midfielder curl a superb strike around Thibaut Courtois’ wall, while his second was even more jaw-dropping, finding the Belgian goalkeeper’s top-left corner from the opposite side.

Mikel Merino rounded off a fine Arsenal move just minutes later to truly put Arteta’s men in the box seat ahead of this week’s return leg in Madrid, which will require a monumental comeback from Real, even considering their capacity to resurrect themselves from seemingly dire situations.

Whatever happens, the first leg is surely one of Arsenal’s greatest nights, beating the reigning European champions amid all their injury problems and tepid league challenge.

The tie is now set up with Arsenal just 90 minutes away from a first Champions League semi-final since 2009, handing the Gunners a golden chance to take home the trophy for the first time.

The winners of this tie will face either PSG or Aston Villa in the last four, with the Parisians 3-1 up from the first leg ahead of their trip to Villa Park on Tuesday evening.

Arteta nearly injures Raheem Sterling ahead of Real Madrid showdown

Footage from Arsenal’s last training session before heading to Madrid, via BeanymanSports, shows the team in good spirits – and understandably so after last week’s heroics. However, that enthusiasm nearly spilled over, as manager Mikel Arteta almost got too carried away.

Ending up in the middle of a rondo, Arteta saw an opportunity to intercept the ball as it rolled towards Raheem Sterling, proceeding to fly into a sliding challenge.

Arteta seems to apologise in Sterling’s direction and takes a step back from partaking in the drill, while Jurrien Timber appears to wince as the manager’s challenge comes flying in.

There was no harm done in the end, leaving Sterling – who was banned for the first leg – free to face Real in what is Arsenal’s biggest European game for years.