Arsenal handed major Champions League boost amid double suspension

Arsenal have been handed a major boost ahead of their next UEFA Champions League league phase fixture. The Gunners were hugely impressive as they swept aside Sporting CP at the Estadio Jose Alvalade 5-1 on Tuesday night.

It has put Mikel Arteta's side in the top eight and set for qualification directly to the last 16. There are three games left to play in the league phase, with two of those being at the Emirates Stadium.

Two of those three matches are against teams lower down the table, with the most difficult-looking fixtures being the next one - at home to Monaco. The Ligue Un side are level on points with the Gunners after the first five games and also in the top eight.

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But Arsenal 's job against the French side has been made a bit easier with the news that one of their key players will be suspended for the clash. Wilfried Singo is one of Monaco's first-choice centre-backs and will miss the match with Arsenal after being sent off for two yellow cards in the 3-2 defeat to Benfica on Wednesday night.

Singo has played in four of Monaco's five Champions League matches and is a regular in Ligu Un, playing the full 90 minutes in eight of their 12 matches this season. He will be a big miss for the French side visiting north London next month.

Singo is not the only one who will be missing either. Christian Mawissa picked up his third booking of the league phase when coming off the bench against the Portuguese side. That means he will also serve a one-match suspension against Arsenal.

Mawissa is not as integral to Monaco as Singo, starting just one match in the Champions League and three in Ligue Un. The two suspensions will give manager Adi Hutter something to think about when he sorts his team out for the match at the Emirates Stadium, however.