Team News: Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez starts against former club

Arsenal attacker Alexis Sanchez will come up against his former club Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium this evening.

The Chilean made 141 appearances for the Catalans before he switched to North London in a deal thought to be worth £35m 18 months ago.

Sanchez had spent a couple of months on the sidelines with a hamstring complaint, but he recently returned to action and has been included by Arsene Wenger tonight.

Elsewhere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been given the nod in one of the three attacking berths behind lone striker Olivier Giroud, which has condemned Theo Walcott to the bench.

As for visiting Barca, there are no major surprises in head coach Luis Enrique's starting lineup.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has kept goal in the Champions League so far this term and the German has retained his spot between the posts, while the clinical three-pronged attack of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all feature.

Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Chambers, Flamini, Campbell, Walcott, Welbeck

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi Subs: Bravo, Munir, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Vidal, Vermaelen, Mathieu

Follow Sports Mole's live text coverage of the encounter at the Emirates here.