Shakhtar Donetsk plotting Arsenal ambush

The changing face of European football will be on display Tuesday when Arsenal’s foreign legion face the Brazilian-influenced Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine in a crucial Champions League battle.

Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners have long relied on a cosmopolitan playing staff where home-grown English players are the exception rather than the rule.

But now the trend has spread to the Ukraine, where in recent seasons Shakhtar have undergone a South American revolution having drafted in no fewer than seven Brazil-born footballers to their squad.

So far the policy has reaped dividends, with Shakhtar having started their Champions League campaign with two wins out of two to join Arsenal on six points going into Tuesday’s Group H encounter at the Emirates.

The most recent of those signings, the gifted attacking midfielder Douglas Costa, was in superb form in Shakhtar’s last European outing, creating two goals and scoring another in a 3-0 away win over Portugal’s Braga.

Douglas has been dubbed the “new Ronaldinho” following his five-million-pound transfer from Gremio to Shakhtar and the 20-year-old admits he relishes the comparison to the former World Footballer of the Year.

“Maybe it’s because we started our careers at the same club, Gremio,” Douglas told The Independent newspaper.

“As human beings we are more opposite than alike, but on the pitch I can also do some tricks. Ronaldinho was my idol.

“He’s an incredible football genius. If I could produce on the pitch something like what he does I’d be the happiest man in the world.”

Another member of Shakhtar’s Brazilian-born contingent is former Arsenal old boy Eduardo Da Silva, the Croatian international who signed for the club in July after three seasons with the Gunners.

The 27-year-old has struggled to win a place in Shakhtar’s starting line-up this season and may not start on Tuesday.

However Eduardo believes the Ukrainian champions are ready to ambush Wenger’s men and has been priming coach Mircea Lucescu with inside information about his old team-mates.

“We’ve talked a bit about the forthcoming games,” Eduardo told The Observer.

“I said that we can surprise Arsenal in the same way Olympiakos did last season by beating them 1-0.

“We both believe that Shakhtar with our enormous home support can defeat them while in London the task will be much harder,” said Eduardo, who plans to swap his shirt with Cesc Fabregas on Tuesday given the opportunity.

“Even before the draw was made, I dreamed of playing against Arsenal and playing in front of the fans again at the Emirates.”

Fabregas is tipped to make his return from injury on Tuesday after damaging a hamstring during a 1-1 draw with Sunderland last month.

Wenger meanwhile has praised Eduardo for having the strength to come back from a horrific leg injury sustained at Birmingham two years ago.

“I rate Eduardo — not only for the quality of player he is but for his mental attitude and strength,” Wenger said, admitting that his decision to sell the Croatian striker could come back to haunt him in the Champions League.

“That is the gamble you take for any player that players against you,” he said.