Arsenal to decide on Robin van Persie just before Barcelona kick-off

Arsenal will wait until the last available moment before deciding whether Robin van Persie should be included in their 18-man squad for tonight's Champions League last-16 second leg against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Arsenal lead 2-1 from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium . The Dutchman has scored 12 times in nine games, so his inclusion would provide a major boost for Arsenal just ahead of kick-off and, potentially, deal a psychological blow to Barcelona. Arsène Wenger, who has taken 19 players to Spain, is keen for the 27-year-old striker to play and there is a growing sense that if Van Persie is included in the match squad, the Frenchman may decide to start him. In that case, Van Persie would have made a remarkable recovery from the knee injury that he suffered in the Carling Cup final nine days ago. Wenger stated that Van Persie could be out for at least a month . Uefa rules state that a team's 18-man match squad must be submitted 75 minutes before kick-off. That means that at around 6.35pm, Barcelona will discover if Van Persie will face them.