Fit-again Chloe Kelly could hold the key to Arsenal pulling off a Women's Champions League comeback in Lyon

Both Russo and Kelly were magnificent when Arsenal thrashed Madrid to secure their place in the final four last month. Had the Gunners been more clinical in the first half, Kelly could've been going in at the break with more than one assist to her name. Within four minutes of the restart, though, she had two.

"I think we played to her strengths today really well," head coach Renee Slegers said of Kelly after the game. "The players on the pitch did that really well today but also, Madrid gave her the opportunity to play to her strengths. There was quite a lot of space so we set up situations where there was space for Chloe to do the things she's good at."

That's exactly what Arsenal need to try and do again on Sunday, as it has been working a treat since the England international arrived at the club on loan at the end of the winter transfer window.

Since making the first appearance of her second spell with the Gunners, only Katie McCabe has created more chances in the Women's Super League for Arsenal than Kelly. The Lionesses star has completed more dribbles than any club-mate, she ranks third for both shots taken and touches in the opposition box, as well as joint-second for shots on target.

Those statistics just support the eye test, which has suggested that Kelly has been remarkably impactful on this Arsenal attack. That's in other ways, too. The 27-year-old has been praised for her attitude, work rate and contributions in training by Slegers, while her mere presence adds more depth out wide.

That the ankle injury she picked up earlier this month was only minimal, then, is huge news. Kelly had to pull out of the England squad at the start of April due to that issue, missing both of the Lionesses' games against Belgium.

Unfortunately, it wasn't minor enough for her to be ready to go from the start when Arsenal hosted Lyon last week, restricting her to a role from the bench. However, another week on the training pitch will have done her the world of good.

What difference could she make in France if she is fit to start? Arsenal created a lot of chances even with Kelly on the bench at the Emirates. That wasn't really an issue; it was more that they just didn't take them. Indeed, the English side had a higher expected goals (xG) total than Lyon in the first leg, but they came out of the game 2-1 down on aggregate.

In a way, the match was reminiscent of the first half of the second leg against Real Madrid. The Gunners' peppered the visitors' box in that first 45 minutes and yet, somehow, didn't score. That might be an encouraging thing for Slegers to tell her players, really, given how quickly Arsenal turned it around in the second half, seemingly getting their shooting boots on at the interval to score three times in 14 minutes.

However, if that Real Madrid second leg and the first leg against Lyon are anything to go by, plus their 2-0 loss in Madrid which was marred by missed opportunities, it's that Arsenal seem to need to create a heck of a lot in order to find the back of the net at the moment. Getting Kelly back will certainly aid them in that department.

Whether it's with her deadly deliveries from open play, her wicked set-pieces or her own ability to get on the scoresheet, she will add another level and another dimension to an attack that has shown it is capable of racking up the goals in big moments. Combine that with a sharper performance from Russo, who couldn't complete 90 minutes last time out after also withdrawing from the England squad earlier this month with a knock of her own, and there are reasons to believe Arsenal could win in Lyon.

Will that be enough, though? After all, the Gunners still need to find a way to stop Lyon's own attack, which has been breath-taking all season long. Melchie Dumornay continued a magnificent, and potentially Ballon d'Or-worthy, campaign by scoring the winner at the Emirates while Kadidiatou Diani showcased her ruthlessness with an arrowed finish to break the deadlock, leaving the impression that Tabitha Chawinga was rather quiet in comparison.

Player of the Year in France last term, it's highly unlikely that Chawinga doesn't make her mark on this tie though, and then there are the likes of Ada Hegerberg, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Eugenie Le Sommer, all icons of the Champions League and players capable of making a serious impact who were on the bench in London. That's before we get to some of the other game-changers in this Lyon team, be they classy midfielders like United States captain Lindsey Heaps or defensive colossuses such as goalkeeper Christiane Endler.

It's going to be difficult for Arsenal. Really difficult. But their chances of completing an unlikely comeback are certainly greater if a player like Kelly is ready to go from the start.