Mikel Arteta has provided a significant injury boost ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest this Saturday.
Arsenal face reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskas Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 5pm on Saturday evening.
A victory for Arteta’s side would round off an already memorable season in remarkable fashion for the north London club.
Arsenal have already celebrated winning the Premier League title, collecting the trophy at Selhurst Park last weekend before shifting focus to Budapest.
The squad have since travelled to Hungary and are now completing their final preparations ahead of the showpiece occasion.
Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Jurrien Timber is fit to start, delivering a major boost to Arsenal’s hopes.
The full-back had made the trip to Budapest with the rest of the squad, raising optimism that he would be available to feature in the final.
Goalkeeper David Raya missed Arsenal’s final Premier League match of the season against Crystal Palace with a back, glute and shoulder injury, but is expected to be available for the final.
Winger Noni Madueke also picked up a hamstring issue on the final day of the season against Palace, though reports suggest he was substituted purely as a precaution.
Arteta confirmed at his PSG press conference that Madueke is fine, providing further positive news ahead of the biggest game of Arsenal’s season.
The major absentee for the final remains Ben White, who suffered a significant knee injury during the win over West Ham United, bringing a premature end to his campaign.
Arteta offered a sober assessment of White’s condition, 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.”
