The North London outfit was seeded for Friday's draw in Nyon Switzerland, and will face a two-legged fixture over August 16/17 and 23/24, the match arrangement will see our beloved team fight for survival in Europe and domestic supremacy against the likes of Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United. The battle at the home front is by no means an easy task - mainly because, games against the traditional top four at this early stage of the Premier League campaign can potentially make or break our title hopes this season.
Arsenal will play the first leg at the Emirates Stadium, and the second leg will follow suit at the 42,000 capacity Stadio Friuli. The club will certainly miss the services of their manager Arsene Wenger, who must serve a one-match touchline ban following UEFA disciplinary action after being charged with "inappropriate language" directed towards the match official (Massimo Busacca) following last season's second-round defeat to Barcelona in the Nou Camp.
Robin van Persie will also watch from the comfort of his hotel room. The in-form striker was dubiously asked to leave the field in the thick of the action by the controversial swiss referee, who still claims the player refused to acknowledge his authority on the pitch. Another prominent member of our midfield Samir Nasri, will also not partake due to his outstanding sanction from UEFA for his outburst at Busacca. The duo will not be available for selection, no thanks to UEFA's decision to carry over the trio's suspensions into our next European tie.
