The trio, who were the backbone of the team last season, will all undergo fitness tests before tonight's eight o'clock kick off.
Howard is still a doubt due to the finger injury that sidelined him for the weekend defeat to Manchester United but it's not clear exactly what is wrong with either Johnson or Arteta.
Thomas Gravesen and Steven Pienaar are also doubts for the game.
So we could have a pretty patched-up team on show tonight.
But, whatever team steps out will have to be good enough to overcome a side that finished third in their domestic league last season as no-one will really want to be going back to Kharkiv needing a result to go through.
Particularly as the Ukranians have a strong record at home this season.
Only Ukranian champions, Shakhtar Donetsk have defated them at their gaff this term and the have won four, drawn two and lost three of their opening nine fixtures this season.
They currently sit fifth in the lague after going down 0-3 to Dnipro at the weekend.
Let's hope that 'Mentallist who?' don't become this season's Staeu Bucharest...sorry, Rapid Bucharest....no? Oh that other team from Bucharest then!