Arsene Wenger has admitted he is under growing pressure to concentrate on the Europa League because Arsenal are slipping off the pace in the Premier League.
The Frenchman — who fears key midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City a week on Sunday with a groin injury — needs to deliver Champions League qualification ahead of a crunch summer for his future.
Wenger fielded weakened teams in the Europa League group stage, but will confirm his change of priorities by sending out a strong line-up including Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan against Ostersunds on Thursday night.
Ozil will play his first Europa League game since 2010.
Danny Welbeck leads the line as Arsenal’s only available senior striker, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cup-tied and Alexandre Lacazette out for six weeks.
With Arsenal trailing fourth-placed Chelsea by eight points in the Premier League, winning the Europa League is the Gunners’ most realistic route into the Champions League.
And asked whether Arsenal’s domestic woes meant Europe was now playing more on his mind, Wenger replied: ‘The pressure might be higher and we’ll try to go as far as we can. We go into direct knockout now, so the risk is higher. We are ambitious in the competition, so we will field a more experienced team than before.
‘We must still focus on the Premier League but we would have brought an experienced team here anyway.’
Arsenal prepared at their London Colney base on the eve of the game rather than taking up the option to train at the stadium, which has a plastic pitch. ‘We will adapt,’ said Wenger. ‘We have played indoors sometimes. We have an artificial pitch.’
Ramsey is one of the few senior players to miss the trip to Sweden after he was injured in the build-up to last Saturday’s derby defeat by Tottenham.
Wenger had hoped Ramsey would be available to face Ostersunds, but he admitted the Wales star could now miss the Wembley final against Manchester City.
‘I expected him to be a bit further in his development but he doesn’t move forward as quickly as I expected,’ said Wenger. ‘I would say Ramsey will certainly not be available for the next game against Ostersunds (a week today).
‘Maybe for the cup final, I don’t know yet.’
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