Europa League final: Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno hits out at Uefa over Henrikh Mkhitaryan ‘scandal’

Mkhitaryan has not travelled to Baku due his homeland Armenia’s ongoing political conflict with Azerbaijan

Bernd Leno has accused Uefa of committing “a scandal” in selecting a Europa League final venue that prevents his Arsenal teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan from travelling to Azerbaijan.

Arsenal can qualify for the Champions League if they beat Premier League rivals Chelsea on Wednesday at Baku’s Olympic Stadium, but the build-up to the final has been overshadowed by the political row that has emerged over Mkhiatryan’s decision not to travel with his teammates due to a fear for his safety.

The Armenian international did not feel safe in travelling to Azerbaijan, who his country remain at war with in a long-running conflict, which has led to the club criticising Uefa for awarding Baku the final in the first place – along with a number of high-profile critics – despite assurances being given to him over his concerns.

But Leno believes that it is wrong of Uefa to put Mkhitaryan in the position where he has to make the decision in the first place.

“It's a scandal that he cannot play because of that, he works hard all season and cannot come to such a final for political reasons. I'm just sorry for him,” Leno said ahead of Wednesday’s final.

Mkhitaryan’s absence is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems that have surrounded Baku’s selection as host city.

Many fans have been forced to abandon plans to travel to the final due to the problems with securing affordable flights, while some have arrived in the Azerbaijani capital only to discover their hotel rooms have been cancelled and resold at a high price.

Both clubs were given just 6,000 tickets to sell to fans, but around half of those have been returned to Uefa after they were unable to be sold, with Arsenal returning around 2,300 and Chelsea 4,000. It means that the 69,870-seat stadium is set to be far from full on the night.