Arsenal had finished sixth in the 2017-18 Premier League season, in what was Arsene Wenger's last year as the manager of the club. The sixth-place finish meant that Arsenal qualified for the Europa League - Europe's second-tier cup competition, one rung below the Champions League.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who joined Arsenal in the January transfer window from Manchester United, may miss out on the Europa League final if Arsenal qualifies for it, due to a political reason.
The 2018-19 Europa League final will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, due to discord between Azerbaijan and Armenia - the country that Mkhitaryan represents - Armenians are not allowed to travel to Azerbaijan, which means that Arsenal may be without their star attacker in the Europa League final on 29 May 2019.
Meanwhile, the Armenian may also miss one group game in the Europa League this year, as Arsenal are drawn with Azerbaijan's Qarabag, who will host the Gunners on October 4. Ukraine's Vorskla Poltava and Portuguese side Sporting CP, are the other two sides in Group E of the Europa League.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery spoke about the Mkhitaryan situation and said that he will speak to the player and find a solution: "I would like that he can [travel] with us. And this problem, if we can together arrange [a solution], it's better. But I have not yet spoken with him."
While playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2015, Mkhitaryan did not travel to Azerbaijan to play Gabala in a Europa League fixture. UEFA said that they will help the player obtain a visa and travel to Azerbaijan to play Qarabag.
Arsenal were knocked out by eventual champions, Atletico Madrid, in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 edition of the Europa League.
