Arsenal’s preparations for their first away Champions League game in six-and-a-half years were thrown into chaos due to travel delays. Mikel Arteta’s side face Lens in their Group B clash at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Tuesday night but had to cancel their pre-match press conference on the eve of the game. The Arsenal boss was due to speak to the media with France defender William Saliba at 1900 local time but their chartered flight was grounded at Luton airport. The Gunners had trained at London Colney at 1130BST before being due to travel to France on Monday afternoon but bad weather saw those plans cancelled. The PA news agency understands Arsenal will not face a fine as the cancellation was out of their control – with the squad waiting over three hours at Luton before being able to make the short hop over the channel. Among the travelling party stuck at Luton were Bukayo Saka – who was passed fit to travel despite limping off injured at Bournemouth on Saturday – and fit-again midfielder Thomas Partey. Partey had been sidelined since August with a groin injury and the club hoped to have him back for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday. “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,” Arteta said of the Ghana international. “I think his progression in the last week has been very good. He might have some exposure tomorrow depending how the game goes.” Both Arteta and Saliba later spoke to a small number of reporters over the phone and the latter insisted everything would be fine heading into the game. Asked if he was confident the team would still be at their best, he replied: “Yes, of course. We have to arrive first but tomorrow is another day and we will give our best against Lens. We know it won't be an easy game. It is a really good team who finished second last season William Saliba “It is a really good feeling. My second game in the Champions League with Arsenal. I can’t wait to play in France so it is a good feeling. “We know it won’t be an easy game. It is a really good team who finished second last season. “They didn’t start well but in the last two or three games, they are better so we have to be focused on tomorrow and give our best.” Read More Mikel Arteta delighted to see Arsenal’s ‘human qualities’ after Kai Havertz goal Kai Havertz off the mark for Arsenal in rampant 4-0 win at Bournemouth It is the food – Mikel Arteta suggests reason behind string of Basque coaches Football rumours: Juventus seeking new long-term deal for Adrien Rabiot Arsenal break Women’s Super League record – but suffer shock Liverpool defeat That win goes down to the manager – Craig Dawson hails Gary O’Neil

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Mauricio Pochettino says Reece James’ “leadership” is why he handed him the Chelsea captaincy and defended the full-back after he picked up a suspension during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa last month. James, who did not play the match through injury, was suspended for Chelsea’s win over Burnley for aiming “abusive words” at a match official in the tunnel during the clash at Stamford Bridge and was ordered to pay a £90,000 fine. But Pochettino has seen James’ leadership attributes and believes his actions were a mistake fuelled by frustration after he sustained a hamstring injury in August. “Why did I choose him as captain? Because of his personality, his leadership, the respect he has from the club and his team-mates and he has my full respect also,” Pochettino said. “Chelsea is in his DNA and when you see the squad he is not only for the present, he is for the future and in this moment Chelsea need someone like that. “I think he was upset with the situation. He was so committed with this project from the beginning, he felt really bad because he could not help the team. “He made a mistake but he’s young and he can make mistakes. He was really sorry about that situation and I don’t think it will be repeated. “Even myself at Burnley I got a yellow card at half-time and I’m 51 years old; sometimes a young guy can make a mistake, he was frustrated because he could not help the team.” Pochettino said that James’ fitness “will be assessed” ahead of Saturday’s clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, quashing reports the full-back suffered a setback in his recovery. James has only started 22 times in the Premier League since January 2022 after a raft of injury issues. Pochettino added: “He is much better, he’s doing well and he’s progressing. He’s not at his best and is not 100 per cent, but he is in a position to help the team at some point and he is close. “What we are going to do is to avoid that (surgery) and we are building a strategy for him, to put him at his best and keep him at his best. “We are confident (of this). Always confident.” Mykhailo Mudryk scored his first competitive goal for Chelsea during their 2-0 victory over Fulham and he opened his account for Ukraine when he netted against Malta in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday. Pochettino is happy with the winger’s progress after the 22-year-old struggled to adapt to life in west London following his big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk in January. He said: “We are so happy with him. He’s changed a lot in the last three months since we first met him and he’s a completely different person and we can see how lovely, sensitive, smart and clever he is. “It is so important to give confidence and when people trust they can be open and express their talent and Misha (Mudryk) is doing really well with his relationships with the team and club.” Read More I don’t remember – Pep Guardiola denies tipping Roberto De Zerbi as successor Luke Shaw not expected to be fit until after November’s international break FIFA hands two-year doping ban to World Cup winner Papu Gomez Rotherham’s game with Ipswich off and Scottish matches postponed due to storm It is bad news – Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi expects Man City to bounce back Kevin Sinfield calls on England to empty tanks against South Africa

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