It’s officially official now- Arsenal FC can go all in on the Champions League. Liverpool thrashed Tottenham Hotspur today, and in the process, clinched the Premier League title. So now the Gunners can go all in on the UCL, and that campaign continues Tuesday night when they host Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal should, or at least could, get a trio of players- Mikel Merino, Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori, back from injury in this one.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Leg 1/2
Kickoff: Tue. April 29, 8pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Google 90 Min Result Probability: Paris Saint-Germain 28% Draw 27% Arsenal 45%
Arsenal Team News
We start with Merino (knee) and White (unspecified), whose issues are thought to not be too serious. “Yeah, we have to wait and see, but they were unable to be in the squad today,” Arteta said on Wednesday.
Both will likely need to pass a late fitness test in order to make the matchday here in midweek.
As for Calafiori (also a knee problem) let’s flash back to what Arteta said nine days ago, regarding the situation:
‘If everything goes well, I think [he will be back for PSG]. Maybe a little bit earlier, so let’s see. He’s on the pitch already, he’s done quite a lot of stuff, and we just need to make the right steps now to make sure that when he’s back, he’s in a good place to perform.”
Well, it is PSG time now, so the Italian defender should be touch and go for this one.
We’ll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile Kai Havertz (hamstring) is moving closer towards a return, but this week will come too soon.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter