Arsenal Women’s Champions League campaign to conclude in August

Arsenal Women’s 2019-20 Champions League campaign will be finished in August, as UEFA moves the tournament to a single-match knockout round format. The matches will take in Bilbao and San Sébastian in Basque Country, Spain. The quarter-finals will take place on the 21st and 22nd of August, with a draw to determine the order taking place on June 26th. The semi-finals will be on the 25th and 26th of August, with the final on August 30. All matches will be behind closed doors.

UEFA have determined that only players registered at their respective clubs by March 18 will be eligible to be added to their squad. This is problematic for Arsenal: Louise Quinn, Katrine Veje, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, and Emma Mitchell have already announced their departure, with Ruby Grant set to depart as she begins her collegiate soccer career at UNC. Arsenal can add Caitlin Foord, signed last January, and Danielle Carter, left out because of a second ACL injury, to the squad, but beyond that, the squad will be slim, with any prospective signings this summer ineligible to compete.

Arsenal will be boosted by the return to fitness of several players who were missing when football was suspended, with Kim Little, Lia Wälti, and Beth Mead all likely to have recovered from injury. Arsenal had been poised to miss Danïelle van de Donk, who was injured in the international break before the suspension of the WSL season.

With Arsenal having finished 3rd in the WSL campaign on a points per game basis, they can only qualify for the 2020-21 Women’s Champions League by winning this year’s competition. Should they advance, they would play either Bayern Munich or five time Champions League winners Olympique Lyon.