Arsenal could be handed a major boost ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain after the French side confirmed an injury to Ousmane Dembele.
The in-form attacker scored the only goal in the first leg at the Emirates but his participation in Paris is now in doubt after picking up a hamstring issue.
Dembele was forced off during the second half of Tuesday’s clash in north London.
He has been emblematic of the transformation of Luis Enrique’s side since the turn of the year and has registered 33 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this term.
In a medical update on Friday, a statement from the French giants read: ‘Ousmane Dembele has strained his right hamstring. His condition in progressing well.
‘A further assessment will be carried out shortly.’
Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Ousmane Demebele sustained a hamstring strain in the first leg
The Frenchman scored the only goal as PSG claimed a 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates
Mikel Arteta has cast doubt over the involvement of two first-team stars innext week’s return leg
Enrique confirmed that Dembele will not play in PSG’s next match against Strasbourg this weekend, with the league title already confirmed.
The Frenchman gave a rather optimistic forecast of his condition after the win over the Gunners, insisting that he was ‘okay’ despite feeling ‘a little something’.
Enrique added: ‘We’re going to try to get Dembele back on the pitch. If Ousmane can play, that’s better, not if he doesn’t, we’ll still be a real team. We’ve been saying that since the start of the season.’
Meanwhile, the Gunners are unlikely to have back Jorginho or Riccardo Calafiori for the return leg in Paris, though the latter is expected to resume first-team duties next week.
Should Arsenal make the final they could also welcome the return of Kai Havertz, who required surgery after suffering a hamstring injury on the side’s warm weather training camp in Dubai.
Arteta said: ‘I think if everything goes the way it’s going at the moment and the way it’s planned, I think he will have a chance to play a few games in the season.’
