Arsenal, Man Utd, Celtic target Europa League knockout berths

Last season's Europa League finalists Arsenal and 2017 champions Manchester United can clinch places in the last 32 of the competition this week, while group leaders Celtic face a "titanic game" away to Lazio.

Arsenal have won just twice in nine Premier League outings but are chasing a fourth straight victory in Group F away to bottom side Vitoria Guimaraes on Wednesday.

Gunners boss Unai Emery has stripped Granit Xhaka of the captaincy in the wake of an emotional outburst towards supporters in last month's draw at home to Crystal Palace.

"I was speaking with him this morning and I decided he's not one of the captains in our group and I decided that and I told him this morning," Emery said Tuesday.

"He accepted my decision." Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who wore the armband at the weekend against Wolves and will take over the role full-time, was also left out the travelling squad along with Mesut Ozil and David Luiz.

United can punch their ticket to the knockout phase on Thursday with another win over Partizan Belgrade, the Serbian side coached by former Aston Villa striker Savo Milosevic.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team registered a 1-0 win in Belgrade a fortnight ago and are one of just two clubs yet to concede a goal in the competition.

The Norwegian urged his United players to bounce back from Saturday's 1-0 loss at Bournemouth that left them a dismal 10th in the table.

"You have got to react, you have got to recover," said Solskjaer, who is still without Paul Pogba because of an ankle problem.

"We have two more games before the international break, we've got a chance on Thursday to qualify in Europe and then Brighton at home - so we need a response."
- 'Huge incentive' -
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"It's a titanic game ahead of us, we know the calibre of opposition we've got on Thursday night in Lazio, but it's not beyond us."