Wilshere, Diaby, Benayoun, Coquelin and Ramsey all miss out though injury or illness which is quite amazing. Even Tomas Rosicky is a doubt but I think he will have to be patched up and wheeled out because we really do have no more options, at least from our first team squad. We ended the game at Liverpool with our young prodigy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the advanced attacking midfield role and I suspect that is the position where he will start the game tonight. That is what I think

The second leg of a Champions league round of 16 match is usually accompanied by nerves and anxiety, so it feels a little strange to feel almost emotionless whilst writing this preview of the game. I certainly will not be indulging in any football betting as we look out of it. But at the same time it gives us a great chance to enjoy the football without the usual pressure. The handbrake should be well and truly ripped out and thrown away by the time the referee puts his whilstle to his lips.

I hope the players on the pitch also feel exactly the same way and that is what I am looking forward to tonight. Arsene Wenger’s tone and attitude about this leg is vastly different from his post match interview after that dark evening in Milan a few weeks ago and understandably so.

I think those who criticise his ‘spin’ seem to forget that motivating and installing belief in his players is part of a managers job, and that is what Arsene has been working on since our fantastic late victory in Liverpool.

I have already expressed my huge concerns for the fragility of our squad due to a combination of injuries, recovery time in the last few weeks and another round of pointless internationals so I won’t go into that very much. I will say that the latest injury virus seems to be moving around our squad. In recent years it has been central defenders, strikers, goalkeepers, full backs not so long ago and now central midfielders.

Arteta, Wilshere, Diaby, Benayoun, Coquelin and Ramsey all miss out though injury or illness which is quite amazing. Even Tomas Rosicky is a doubt but I think he will have to be patched up and wheeled out because we really do have no more options, at least from our first team squad.

We ended the game at Liverpool with our young prodigy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the advanced attacking midfield role and I suspect that is the position where he will start the game tonight. That is what I am looking forward to the most.

That might not be the case if Arsene switches to a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 formation but given that Milan play  many central players and can keep the ball very well, I would be very surprised if Wenger was to go with a man light in that area and surrender the midfield.

We all saw how that worked out for Harry Redknapp against us last weekend.

With Theo Walcott on the right and Gervinho on the left, Oxlade-Chamberlain in a central role would give us plenty of drive and pace as well as artistry around the penalty box.

His father Mark Chamberlain, a former top level player himself described his son as a central player before his move to Arsenal and the Ox himself also admitted at his central preference during an early interview at Arsenal. With Cesc’s departure, Wilshere’s injury and Ramsey’s need for rest, this could be a massive stage for Oxlade-Chamberlain to show what he can do.

A player who can find the final ball as shown with a recent assist to van Persie against Manchester United and his wonderful through pass to Walcott at Bolton. A player who has a deadly long range strike without much back lift. We saw that at Anfield by cracking a 25 yard screamer which fizzed away from the top corner on his right, he had smashed a left footed shot that was tipped over the bar against Manchester City in the Carling Cup, not to mention his early long range goal against Shrewsbury also in the Carling Cup.

But what is probably more exciting about his game is that he is a player who can dribble. He can step-over, drag back, nip in between players and pop one-two’s with van Persie and continue his runs into the box, he could really speed up our attacking play and that excites me.

A big performance from him in that position could fast track his development into a central player in this Arsenal team.

For the impossible to happen, we will need to press with the same intensity as we showed against Tottenham, move the ball as quickly as we did against Blackburn Rovers and we have a good chance to score goals.

The reason why I don’t think the game will be just down to us is because I don’t think Milan will crumble as badly as that. They are an experienced side who will do all they can to stop us playing and make the game as patchy as possible but as has been said, an early Arsenal goal or two whilst shutting them out would put the cat amongst the pigeons or any similar cliche.

If we do not manage to pull this one off then an injury free Arsenal evening, a home victory and a good positive performance would do the squad plenty of good before Monday’s visit of Newcastle United.

Mean Lean’s Predicted Line Up:

We have nothing whatsoever to lose. Pass quickly, work hard and win the game and then we shall see where we end up.

Come on you Gunners.