Preview: Shakhtar Donetsk v. Arsenal, Champions League Group Matchday 4

Arsenal will be without Cesc Fabregas thanks to a re-tweaked hamstring. Pic via The Indepedent.
 
Donbass Arena, Donetsk

Wednesday, November 3

19:45 GMT, 3:45 p.m. EDT

• Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
• Reverse Fixture: Arsenal 5 - 1 Shakhtar Donetsk
• All-Time in All Competitions: 2 Arsenal wins, 1 Shakhtar win, 0 draws
• Arsenal's League Form: D-L-L-W-W-W
• Shakhtar's League Form: W-W-W-W-W-W

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red

Fabianski

Sagna - Koscielny - Squillaci - Clichy

Wilshere - Eastmond

Walcott - Nasri - Bendtner

Chamakh

Subs from: Szczesny, Djourou, Eboue, Rosicky, Vela, Lansbury, Emmanuel-Thomas

Out: Fabregas (hamstring), Song (calf), Denilson (groin), Arshavin (undisclosed), Gibbs (knee), Diaby (ankle), Almunia (elbow), Vermaelen (Achilles), Van Persie (ankle), Ramsey (broken leg)

Arsenal News and Notes

• Cesc Fabregas picked up an injury to his hamstring on Saturday (again) and will not make the trip to Ukraine. It's mostly a precaution. Keep in mind, Fabregas has had hamstring problems on-and-off since first coming off at Burnley last December.
• Denilson, Alex Song, Abou Diaby, and Andrei Arshavin were all left in London due to various knocks.
• To make up for their absence, word is that young Gunners Craig Eastmond and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas were on the plane. And by "word," I mean here's a picture, courtesy Jack Wilshere's Twitter. Henri Lansbury traveled as well.
• Arsenal will all but mathematically win Group H with a win and will certainly do so with a win plus Braga dropping points against Partizan.
• The Gunners have won five straight across all competitions. It's their longest winning streak since a six match run last winter, which was snapped in March at Birmingham.
• Arsenal have outscored their competition 14-2 through three matches in group play. 14 goals in three matches is a Champions League record.
• Another Champions League record: Marouane Chamakh has scored in six straight European matches; the first three of the streak were with Bordeaux last year.

Shakhtar News and Notes

• Shakhtar Donetsk are five points clear of rival Dynamo Kyiv for the league lead domestically.
• This season, Shakhtar have only dropped points three times this year: a loss and a draw in the league plus their 5-1 loss at the Emirates.
• The Ukrainian side have not conceded a goal in three domestic fixtures since their loss in London.
• The Coal Miners have not yet lost at home at Donbass Arena, which opened at the start of last season.

Match Facts

• Arsenal have never won in four tries on Ukranian soul; they lost their only trip to Donetsk 3-0.
• Arsenal's last trip to the Ukraine was a 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kyiv in 2008.

The Referee

• The referee is Massimo Busacca from Switzerland.
• Busacca took charge of Arsenal's come-from-behind 2-2 draw against Barcelona at the Emirates in last year's quarterfinal first leg in late March.
• Busacca worked one match in this summer's World Cup: Uruguay's 3-0 win over host South Africa. Busacca sent off South Africa's goalkeeper for a professional foul. He also worked the Champions League Final in 2009, when Manchester United lost 2-0 to Barcelona.

England in the Champions League This Week

• Today: Bursaspor 0 - 3 Manchester United
• Today: Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 1 Internazionale
• Wednesday: Chelsea v. Spartak Moscow; Stamford Bridge, London