Mikel Arteta and Laurent Koscielny were pictured training with the first team ahead of their showdown with Barcelona on Wednesday night.

Arteta returned to full training recently but has yet to make an appearance in the first team.

The lesser-spotted midfielder last pulled on a shirt for Arsenal in January when he was on the bench against Stoke. He hasn’t played for the Gunners since Liverpool on 13th January. That one game came after being sidelined with a calf problem at the end of November.

He has 14 appearances this season, far more than I would have guessed had you asked me. Just one of those 14 have come in the Champions League (against Dinamo Zagreb in September).

Laurent Koscielny has not played since he picked up a calf injury in the league defeat at Old Trafford. Speaking before the game against Watford, Arsene Wenger said “He has to join in normal training tomorrow and then it is for me to [decide whether] take a gamble on a guy that has had one training session with the group or not.”

He did not gamble on him for the FA Cup but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start in Spain.

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal speaks with Mikel Arteta and Gabriel Paulista of Arsenal during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at London Colney on March 15, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – MARCH 15: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal speaks with Mikel Arteta and Gabriel Paulista of Arsenal during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at London Colney on March 15, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: (L-R) Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott of Arsenal take part in a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at London Colney on March 15, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – MARCH 15: (L-R) Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott of Arsenal take part in a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at London Colney on March 15, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal passes a ball during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at London Colney on March 15, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – MARCH 15: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal passes a ball during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at London Colney on March 15, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)