Mikel Arteta has been handed a triple injury boost for Arsenal’s crucial Champions League semi-final second leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
The Gunners travel to the French capital knowing only a victory will see them progress to a first Champions League final since 2006, after losing last week’s first leg at the Emirates 1-0.
Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of that match and Luis Enrique’s side have been boosted by the news that their star man will be fit to play in the reverse fixture after recovering from a hamstring issue.
But now Arsenal’s own injury worries have been alleviated after three key men, whose participation had been in doubt, were all spotted in training on Tuesday morning.
Captain Martin Odegaard plus defensive duo Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori all took part in the session at London Colney.
Arsenal’s stars are put through their paces on Tuesday ahead of their daunting trip to PSG
Manager Mikel Arteta will be buoyed to see his stars back in training after their injury scares
Martin Odegaard was back in training after appearing to hurt his foot against Bournemouth
It’s welcome news for Arteta after the frustration of blowing a lead in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League home defeat by Bournemouth during which Odegaard appear to hurt his foot in the closing stages.
Timber missed the match against the Cherries after limping off against PSG while Italy star Calafiori has been ruled out since picking up a knee injury while on international duty in March.
Arteta urged his side to use the disappointment of Saturday’s defeat to spur them on for Wednesday’s Parc des Princes clash.
‘We certainly wanted to create a really good vibe, a positive result would really help us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday,” the Spanish coach said at the weekend.
‘So what we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy. So make sure that we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris, win the game and be in the final.’
The news that Dembele will return for PSG, after sitting out of their 2-1 defeat by Strasbourg at the weekend, will certainly add to that challenge.
But there was a boost for PSG also with Ousmane Dembele cleared to face the Gunners
The France forward 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 PSG read: ‘Ousmane Dembele has strained his right hamstring. His condition in progressing well. A further assessment will be carried out shortly.’
The winner of Wednesday’s tie will face either Inter Milan or Barcelona, who play 24 hours earlier, in Munich on May 31.
