Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta received positive news ahead of the Champions League semifinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Midfielder Mikel Merino, who had been a doubt, participated fully in training on Monday, indicating his likely availability for the match and helping to clarify the potential starting eleven.
Merino was absent from the recent 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace for undisclosed reasons, but both he and Ben White, another player who missed last week`s game, trained without issues. The 28-year-old Merino`s fitness is a significant boost, making him highly probable to start as Arteta aims to build a midfield capable of competing physically against PSG`s technical players.
Arsenal continues to contend with a number of injuries and suspensions. Thomas Partey is suspended for the first leg following a late foul in a previous match. His defensive midfield position is expected to be filled by Declan Rice. Furthermore, Jorginho is anticipated to miss a substantial part of the remainder of the season due to a rib injury.
With Leandro Trossard likely leading the attack, the expected starting lineup shows minimal changes from the team that defeated Real Madrid in the previous round. However, Arsenal remains without several key players, including Gabriel Magalhaes and Kai Havertz (both hamstring issues), as well as Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu (both knee injuries). There is cautious optimism that Riccardo Calafiori might recover from his own knee problem in time for the return leg in Paris the following Wednesday.
For Paris Saint-Germain, the team selection appears more straightforward. Manager Luis Enrique has a fully fit squad at his disposal, leaving perhaps only one main decision to make. He is expected to start Desire Doue alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele in the forward line, possibly ahead of Bradley Barcola.
Regardless of the final attacking trio, the rest of PSG`s team is largely settled due to the absence of any injury concerns. Since the conclusion of the group stage, Luis Enrique has relied heavily on a core group, with only 13 different players starting Champions League matches. This number would have been even smaller had Lucas Beraldo not needed to fill in for the suspended Marquinhos during the 3-1 win against Aston Villa.
Predicted Starting Lineups for the Semifinal
Arsenal:
- David Raya
- Jurien Timber
- William Saliba
- Jakub Kiwior
- Myles Lewis-Skelly
- Martin Odegaard
- Declan Rice
- Mikel Merino
- Bukayo Saka
- Leandro Trossard
- Gabriel Martinelli
PSG:
- Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Achraf Hakimi
- Marquinhos
- Willian Pacho
- Nuno Mendes
- Joao Neves
- Vitinha
- Fabian Ruiz
- Desire Doue
- Ousmane Dembele
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Adrian Whitmore