Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United and Arsenal vs Lille - Champions League LIVE: Premier League duo return to European action

Minutes silence for Koke's motherThere is going to be a minute's silence at the Metropolitano before the match this evening.The two teams are going to pay their respects to Koke's mother, Doña Ana Merodio Borja, who sadly passed away this morning.Of course, it means that the midfielder will now be absent from the game as he spends time with his family.Declan Rice is worn out - it's time for Mikel Arteta to heed warning signs and give exhausted midfielder a restWith team news on the way shortly, it will be interesting to see whether Declan Rice is in the starting line-up for Arsenal today.Daily Mail Sport's Isaan Khan believes the time in right for Mikel Arteta give his exhausted midfielder a rest. The question is... will he?He is, quite simply, worn out, both mentally and physically. And who can blame him? He made 55 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal last season, starting 49 of those 55 matches and playing 4,454 minutes. That was 91 per cent of Arsenal's available minutes - no Arsenal outfielder played more.It’s why, despite withdrawing from England duty recently to have a well-deserved three weeks away from playing matches, the midfielder still looks in desperate need of careful management going forward.If Rice wasn’t ready to start on Saturday lunchtime then he should have been rested. If he wasn't fit enough for international duty, why would Rice be ready for the first match back after the break?The problem is Rice’s ability to produce a moment of magic, like the neat flick to set up Guimaraes, makes him so hard to drop for Mikel Arteta.Carrick: 'I'm good at shutting off'More from Michael Carrick, Man United boss, on dealing with pressure:It depends on how you define ‘pressure’. There is our own expectation: we know what we want, what we are capable of and that comes from us. I don’t look outside. I don’t feel the pressure from that at all. I’m pretty good at shutting off, to be honest; closing off and living a little bit in my bubble. And I think that’s what we do as a group. We look after each other, we all know what’s out there and it’s about managing it, controlling it and staying focused on what we can do. It is about us wanting to succeed, to win. That’s the drive. There is no negativity. It’s also fine lines sometimes. We are hugely confident and we have confidence in each other. I have the utmost confidence in the boys that we can win a lot of games.[That’s] because I know them, I know how much they care, I know how strong the group is. And, anyway, you’ve got no choice: that’s why we’re here. We’re here to test ourselves and that’s the opportunity that’s in front of us. If you haven’t got that little bit in you where maybe it’s a little bit crazy times but you actually love the challenge and really want to dig deep to find the answers, then this is not the place for you.Carrick under early pressure?The honeymoon period is well and truly over for Michael Carrick.After what was a dream first six months at the helm while in interim charge of Manchester United, reality seems to have smacked both him and his squad in the face.Eight games, two wins. Not exactly great, is it?There were certainly some who expected Carrick and Co to build on the brilliant job they did last season by getting off to a flying start as the permanent boss.They did win their opening game in the Champions League, but that was against Azerbaijani side Sabah - if they lost that, there would have been a riot.While it's still early days in Carrick's tenure, the pressure is certainly there, and I imagine, despite what he says, he is really feeling it.There is plenty of time to turn things around, of course, but Carrick really needs to start doing that sooner rather than later.Pressure can make diamonds in some cases... he will want to be one of those cases.Arteta: 'It's an opportunity for us again to attack the Champions League'Mikel Arteta, Arsenal head coach, speaking on Monday:I think we are really happy to be in the Champions League again. We want to keep the momentum; last year we did really well in the Champions League. It's an opportunity for us again to attack the Champions League.On Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi injuries:We had a training session planned for after game for players that did not have enough minutes... and in two very unfortunate actions we lost two players.Far from ideal. It's never happened in seven years. We need to assess them today and have further scans to see where they are then we will have a timeframe on how long they are going to be out for.That could happen at the Emirates - it never happened in seven years that I have been here. It could happen the next day in the training session. That has happened before and hopefully it doesn't happen again.What can you do? If I had a crystal ball I would just say "guys, get in the Jacuzzi and I will see you tomorrow".Arsenal bid to continue league phase recordArsenal have enjoyed the change to the Champions League format, with the Gunners boasting a stunning record in the league phase.Mikel Arteta's side became the first team to win all eight of their league phase fixtures when they topped the standings last year, with the Gunners going on to finish as runners-up on penalties to PSG.Arsenal's last defeat in the league phase came back in November 2024 when they were narrowly beaten 1-0 away by Inter Milan.Their 1-0 win over Napoli on matchday one, means Arteta's side have racked up 13 consecutive league phase victories.Lille are the side hoping to bring that run to an end. The French outfit are currently second domestically behind Monaco after winning four of their opening six matches.Carrick: 'We need to accept reality'Michael Carrick, Man United boss, speaking on Monday:We hoped for a lot more, we expected a lot more, and we are where we are. I was aware that, winning as many as we had [last season], it was going to get more challenging, stickier. I understand that when it is not going well there is a real clamour and a feeling that it’s a disaster, that it’s all wrong and that everything needs to be changed. I kind of get that, but that’s not our mindset and it’s certainly not mine. You have to deal with things and overcome them. That is what I did throughout my career. We have to accept reality but we are building and you can’t lose sight of the journey.We need to do something about it now and accept the reality. I love this part of it: sometimes when it’s not quite going for you, you see who’s really there. You see within the group, the squad, the club, who’s really there and who wants to be there for the long term, [who] is really attached to it and [for whom it] really means something. The supporters are there: they know what they want, they’re desperate for it, and we’ve got to give them something. You have to embrace the challenge. I totally believe that we’ll work through it.Can United end Atletico curse?Manchester United could be in for a tough night.Why do I say that? Well, their record against Atletico Madrid is pretty pants. And when I say 'pretty', I mean very.United have faced Diego Simeone's side four times and are yet to win a single one, losing two of those matches, including a round of 16 clash just four years ago.Michael Carrick will be desperate to end that winless run, but given how United have been playing this season, that is a lot easier said than done.Relinquishing a 1-0 lead to 10-man Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday evening felt like a new low this campaign, which is saying something given they lost 2-0 to promoted Hull City on the opening day.Carrick really needs his side to start showing up consistently, and he will want them to do so tonight.The question is: can they?What's on the menu?I told you it was a big night, didn't I?Well, here is the delicious menu you have to choose from this evening. Our focus will be on events in Madrid and north London, but don't you worry; we will give you regular score updates from all other games.Here is what is in store:Lens 0-0 Sporting CP (latest)Sabah 0-0 Slavia Prague (latest)Arsenal vs Lille, 20:00 BSTAtletico Madrid vs Manchester United, 20:00 BSTInter Milan vs Club Brugge, 20:00 BSTGalatasaray vs Barcelona, 20:00 BSTRB Leipzig vs PSV Eindhoven, 20:00 BSTViking FK vs Bayern Munich, 20:00 BSTVillarreal vs Napoli, 20:00 BSTBig guns back in EuropeIt's back.The best club competition in world football is back, and it's back better than ever.After what feels like forever, we finally reach the second round of games in the Champions League group phase. Honestly, the gap between the first two games has been ridiculously big.It returns with nine cracking clashes this evening, with two involving Manchester United and Arsenal, as they look to build on their opening game wins.United travel to Atletico Madrid in what promises to be a belter, while the Gunners host Davide Ancelotti, the son of the great man Carlo, as his Lille side come to London.Sit back, relax and enjoy what is going to be one hell of a show.