Probable line-ups for Inter vs Arsenal: Mkhitaryan may start again

Milan’s Inter will host London’s Arsenal on Tuesday, January 20, in the seventh and penultimate round of the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. The match at San Siro is of particular importance for the hosts, who are still fighting for direct qualification to the Round of 16.

After four consecutive wins at the start of their European campaign, the Nerazzurri suffered back-to-back defeats against Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, dropping to sixth place in the standings. Arsenal, on the other hand, have already secured a top-8 finish two rounds before the end of the league phase and approach the game without tournament pressure.

Squad issues for Inter and midfield intrigue

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu will be able to count on the return of Alessandro Bastoni and Marcus Thuram to the starting lineup, as both were rested in the Serie A match against Udinese. At the same time, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Denzel Dumfries are ruled out, creating problems in midfield.

Çalhanoğlu’s absence could be a key factor in selecting the starting eleven. The main question is who will take the left central midfield role: Henrikh Mkhitaryan or young Petar Sučić. According to Italian media, Nicolò Barella and Piotr Zieliński are guaranteed to start.

Mkhitaryan’s chances: experience vs youth

In the current Champions League season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has mostly remained on the bench, especially when starting Serie A matches. He has featured in only two of six games so far. However, the tight schedule and squad situation may force Chivu to rely on the experienced Armenian midfielder.

Mkhitaryan has been in excellent form in his last four matches:

• 90 minutes vs Parma
• 29 minutes vs Napoli, where he won a penalty and hit the post
• 72 minutes vs Lecce (one of the best on the pitch)
• 77 minutes vs Udinese

Sučić, meanwhile, started only once during this period — on January 7 against Parma (69 minutes) — and played just 3–4 minutes in each of the last three matches. Given the importance of the Arsenal game and the battle for direct qualification to the Round of 16, Chivu is likely to trust the experience of the 36-year-old Mkhitaryan, who will celebrate his 37th birthday the day after the match.

A special match for Mkhitaryan

The upcoming game could be special for Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Since leaving Arsenal in 2019, he has faced his former club only once — last season in the Champions League league phase. On that occasion, the Armenian midfielder came on as a substitute, and Inter secured a narrow 1–0 victory.

Lautaro’s condition and probable line-ups

There were some concerns over Lautaro Martínez, who experienced fitness issues after the Udinese match and trained separately. Nevertheless, the Inter captain is expected to start alongside Thuram.

Probable Inter line-up (3-5-2):
Sommer — Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni — Luis Henrique, Barella, Zieliński, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco — Thuram, Lautaro.
Head coach: Cristian Chivu.

Probable Arsenal line-up (4-3-3):
Raya — White, Saliba, Magalhães, Timber — Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice — Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard.
Head coach: Mikel Arteta.

The Inter vs Arsenal match will take place on Tuesday and kick off at 00:00 Yerevan time (23:00 Moscow time).