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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed a significant injury boost ahead of the club’s crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners travel to the French capital on Tuesday afternoon, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from last week’s first leg at the Emirates. With a place in the final in Munich on the line, Arsenal’s preparations were buoyed by the return to training of key players Martin Ødegaard, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori.
Captain Ødegaard, who has faced criticism over his recent form, sustained a foot injury during the latter stages of Saturday’s surprise 2-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. While the Norwegian midfielder eased concerns by confirming on Monday that the injury was not serious, his presence in full training on Tuesday offered a further boost to Arteta’s plans.
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Timber also returned to training after missing the Bournemouth match due to a knock picked up late in the first leg against PSG. Ben White stepped in at right-back over the weekend, but Arteta revealed a final decision on Timber’s availability would be made after Tuesday’s training session.
“We will assess him today to see whether he can start or not,” Arteta said during his pre-match press conference.
Both Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were in training for Arsenal ahead of PSG clash (Image credit: Getty Images)Meanwhile, defender Riccardo Calafiori is in contention to return after being sidelined since March with a knee injury sustained while on international duty with Italy. The 22-year-old has travelled with the squad to Paris and could feature on Wednesday night.
“He’s fit and ready to play when we need him, so that’s obviously great news,” Arteta confirmed.
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Arsenal are aiming to replicate the kind of performance that saw them knock out Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Arteta is confident his side have the quality and belief to overcome PSG at the Parc des Princes.
“We need to do a lot of the things we did in the first leg but better and more consistently,” he said. “If we do that, the probability of success will be very, very close to us. We’re more than capable—we’ve done it in Europe against a lot of odds.”
“A lot of people wouldn’t have expected us to be in this position. That goes against history. Let’s make our own history.”
The second leg kicks off on Wednesday night, with Arsenal looking to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
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