Zurich v Arsenal LIVE: Gunners make UEL return and love facing Swiss opposition

The Gunners went without continental football last season but finished fifth in the Premier League table to return to UEL.

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Mikel Arteta's side are in Group A with FC Zurich, PSV Eindhoven and Bodo/Glimt.

The north Londoners will travel to Switzerland for their opening tie and face Franco Foda's Zurich side who won the Swiss Super League last term.

Arsenal's perfect start to the top-flight season came to an end on Sunday as they lost 3-1 at Manchester United.

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The Gunners will be eager to bounce back from that loss especially ahead of their clash with Everton this weekend.

FC Zurich v Arsenal: Date and talkSPORT coverage

This Europa League Group A tie will take place on Thursday, September 8.

Kick-off at the Stadion Letzigrund is scheduled for 5:45pm UK time.

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talkSPORT coverage will start at 5pm with Andy Goldstein while commentary will come from Alex Crook and former England striker Dean Ashton.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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FC Zurich v Arsenal: Team news

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Arsenal have several midfield injury issues to content with.

Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are both unavailable while Reiss Nelson won't feature.

Emile Smith Rowe will be assessed after picking up a knock in training.

Several youngsters could feature including Matt Smith, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Catalin Cirjan and Lino Sousa.

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FC Zurich v Arsenal: What has been said?

Prior to tonight's clash, Arteta was asked if Arsenal's defeat to Man United could affect his side negatively.

He said: "It won't happen. That won't happen because the performance is there, and we know what we lacked today.

"The details to lose the game are here and you have a very different performance with the same result is how I want to take it because then you are questioning your level, and I don't think there is any question of the level there."

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On the injuries to his squad, Arteta added: "You are going to hurt me about that and I'm not going to put any excuses because these are the players that we have, and for me they're the best players.

"We try to do that and give them confidence and belief, and with those players we play here the way that we played, so that's it and that's not going to change."

FC Zurich v Arsenal: Match facts

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Arsenal have won 75% of their group stage matches in the UEFA Europa League (P24 W18 D4 L2). Of the 94 teams to have participated in the group stages of this competition on at least three previous occasions, only Zenit have a better win rate (79% - 19/24).

After losing just one of their first 11 home matches in the UEFA Europa League (W6 D4), Zürich have since lost each of their last two home matches in the competition.

Arsenal have won all six of their matches to date against Swiss opposition, though they will face Zürich for the first time. The Gunners' last trip to Switzerland saw them defeat Basel in the UEFA Champions League in in December 2016, with a hat-trick from Lucas Pérez.

Zürich have won three of their 10 matches against English opponents in Europe (L7), although all three victories came in home matches, most recently beating Aston Villa 2-0 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in July 2002.

Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah has scored in the last two games he started in the UEFA Europa League; he could become the fifth Englishman to score in three consecutive starts in the competition, after Bobby Zamora, Jermain Defoe, Harry Kane and James Tavernier.