Celtic hero Kieran Tierney starts first game for Arsenal in nineteen months

KIERAN TIERNEY is BACK in an Arsenal starting line-up for the first time in NINETEEN months.

That’s the good news for the former Hoops star, not to mention Scotland boss Steve Clarke, who has been without the services of one of his star men since he limped out of Euro 2024.

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The Scotland international has had a torrid run of injuries during his time at the Gunners as he’s slipped off the radar of boss Mikel Arteta.

His last outing for Arsenal came at Wembley in the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 6, 2023, – that was before he headed out on a season-long loan to Real Sociedad.

But you have to go back to May 2023 and a 3-0 defeat to Brighton for his last start for the Gunners but that all comes to an end tonight.

With the Gunners suffering from a major defensive injury crisis in recent times, he comes straight back into the starting line up for the EFL Cup quarter final against Crystal Palace.

Manager Mikel Arteta said recently: “We have Kieran Tierney after a long injury, it’s great news that he’s back, he’s been training with the team and he’s at the level to participate.”

Arteta makes EIGHT changes to the side that started last weekend’s game against Everton, with Thomas Partey, Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho, Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus also coming into the side alongside Tierney.

Making way are William Saliba, Gabriel, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.

Goalkeeper Tommy Setford comes into the squad alongside centre-back Maldini Kacurri.

Neto is ineligible to play in this competition having already done so for Bournemouth this season.

Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still out with knee injuries, while muscle injuries mean Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori remain unavailable.

Former Gunners academy graduate Eddie Nketiah is on the bench for Palace.

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