Arsenal hit by FIVE-HOUR travel delay ahead of Lens clash due to storm at Luton Airport with Mikel Arteta forced to cancel pre-match press conference
- Arsenal were due to make the short flight to Lille at 4pm on Monday
- The Gunners did not land in France until nearly 11pm due to bad weather
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Arsenal’s preparations for their Champions League group stage clash at Lens took a hit with the squad left stuck at Luton Airport for five hours due to bad weather.
The Gunners were scheduled to depart on the short journey to Lille at 4.15pm on Monday afternoon but the storm meant they did not take off until late in the evening.
The team eventually landed in France at 10.40pm local time forcing the pre-match press conference with manager Mikel Arteta and defender William Saliba to be cancelled.
Due to it being a natural event, a UEFA representative said there shouldn’t be any repercussions.
Arsenal trained at midday in London on Monday ahead of their travels with Thomas Partey returning.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were delayed by five hours as they travelled to France on Monday
The midfielder had been out of action for over a month due to a groin strain.
Arteta, who answered questions over the phone, said: ‘he’s progressed really well in the last two weeks and he managed to train in the last two or three days with the team and that’s great news for us obviously.
‘I think his progression in the last week has been very good. He might have some exposure tomorrow depending how the game goes.
‘He’s a big player and we know what he brings to the team. He knows exactly what we need and with the injuries we had to other players in midfield and at the back he complements us in a great way and gives us options. So it’s great to have him back again.’
Bukayo Saka also made the journey with the team despite being forced off with a knock in Saturday’s win over Bournemouth.
Thomas Partey returned to training on Monday as Arsenal geared up for Tuesday’s game
‘He’s fine, he’s much better,’ Arteta said. ‘It was a big knock but he has recovered well and trained with us today,’ Arteta said of Saka, adding that he would pick his team to face Lens on Tuesday.
Speaking on the meeting with last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up, Arteta said: ‘I’ve been really impressed [with them],’ he said. ‘What they did last year is incredible to be within a point of the title. The way they did it, the form they had at home. This season they’ve been really unlucky with some of the results they’ve had.
‘At home they’ve got just one point and I don’t know how. So we expect a huge battle tomorrow. We’re more than aware of it. We showed the players everything and we have a huge test tomorrow.’
The gunners sit top of their group after thrashing PSV 4-0 in their ppener at the Emirates.
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