Arsenal will be looking for a positive result in Porto on Wednesday night – but will have to achieve it without influential playmaker Andrey Arshavin, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury (Porto 6/4, Arsenal 6/4, the draw 11/5 on totesport).

Arshavin picked up the strain in last week’s 1-0 win over Liverpool and will not be making the trip to Portugal as the Gunners eye a first-leg win before the Emirates return in a fortnight.

The Russian star is expected to be back for the weekend clash with Sunderland as Arsene Wenger’s men hope to keep up their outside chances of a fabulous Champions League and Premier League double this season (9/1 to win the Champions League and 8/1 to win the domestic title with totesport).

Defender Thomas Vermaelen, meanwhile, is expected to continue in the Gunners back-line despite his ongoing leg problem.

Vermaelen said: “We could see then that there was a big bruise on the bone, and that’s all. So it is painful but that can be controlled with medicine and when it is not broken, you can’t do too much wrong.

“It is not a big problem to play – yes it is still there and will take some time to go away, but it is not dangerous.”