Mikel Arteta has received a welcome boost in Arsenal’s preparations for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
The number of injury concerns in the Arsenal camp dropped ahead of the final Premier League fixture of the season against Crystal Palace, only to rise again by full-time.
Mikel Merino’s return to action offered encouragement, but Noni Madueke was forced off midway through the second half clutching his hamstring, raising immediate fears over his fitness.
However, The Athletic have reported that Madueke has avoided injury and is expected to be available for selection ahead of Saturday’s final.
The situation surrounding Jurrien Timber remains uncertain, with the defender having missed the last two and a half months with a groin injury.
Timber did not feature in the squad against Palace, leaving serious doubts over whether he can play any part in the Budapest showdown.
Arteta addressed Timber’s situation on May 21, saying: “Jurrien, let’s hope he can do the same [as Merino] in the next few days. But he’s still a little further behind Mikel at that moment.”
Merino himself provided one of the brighter notes, coming off the bench to play 28 minutes at Selhurst Park without any visible signs of struggle.
His return suggests he will be fully fit to face Luis Enrique’s side when the two clubs meet in the final on Saturday, May 30.
Ben White’s situation is far grimmer, with the defender having been ruled out for the remainder of the season after picking up a knee injury against West Ham.
White was spotted wearing a knee brace during Arsenal’s title celebrations and has no chance of featuring in the European final.
Arteta commented on White’s condition on May 14, stating: “We’ll have to wait and see. It looks like a long-term injury, so at the moment, the focus is on when we can have him back available for Arsenal. And that’s not going to happen for many, many weeks.”
With the final approaching on Saturday, Arsenal will hope Madueke’s scare proves minor and that Timber can somehow force his way back into contention before kick-off.
