Arsenal train on Baku pitch as players vow to win Europa League for Henrikh Mkhitaryan - in pictures

Arsenal took to the Olympic stadium pitch in Baku on Tuesday evening for one last training session ahead of the Europa League final against Chelsea. The most notable absentee was Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who opted to skip the trip to Azerbaijan over fears for his safety due to the tensions between the two nations. The situation has given Arsenal additional motivation to win the trophy for their teammate, with defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who was also teammates with Mkhitaryan at Borussia Dortmund, saying: “We’ve had five or six years together, I know him very well, we are good friends. But we have also to play for him and for the players who are injured, and tomorrow if we win this game, it’s also for them.” Arsenal play Chelsea on Wednesday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 11pm UAE time. To browse through the training session photo gallery above, click on the arrows on the images, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

Arsenal train on Baku pitch as players vow to win Europa League for Henrikh Mkhitaryan - in pictures

Armenian midfielder opted to miss the trip to Azerbaijan over fears for his safety due to the tensions between the two nations