Mikel Arteta has been handed two major injury boosts for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain
09:24, 30 May 2026
Arsenal duo Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber have recovered from injury to be available for the Champions League final
View 2 Images
Arsenal duo Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber have recovered from injury to be available for the Champions League final(Image: (Photo by ANP via Getty Images))
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that Jurrien Timber and Noni Madueke are fit to start the Champions League final. Injury doubts surrounding the duo ramped up after last weekend's win over Crystal Palace with Timber omitted from the squad and Madueke forced off after clutching at his hamstring.
In the days leading up to the showpiece clash against Paris Saint-Germain, both were spotted in training with Arteta confirming the best-case scenario news in his press conference on Friday evening.
When asked about Timber specifically, Arteta replied: "He's fit [to start], yeah." The Arsenal boss provided a similar response to a question about Madueke's fitness.
Having secured the Premier League title before their final day clash at Crystal Palace, Arteta was able to heavily rotate his starting XI and squad. After four months out, Mikel Merino was handed the final 28 minutes at Selhurst Park with Christian Norgaard also getting a rare start.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The latter was taken off at half-time with a knock and could therefore miss the clash against PSG in Budapest. David Raya was one of many to not feature in that game, having recently revealed the minor issues bothering him.
Speaking after the Burnley win, he said: "Yeah, I had a dead back, a dead glute and a dead shoulder, but I’ll be fine. Ice bath, I’m going straight away to the ice bath."
Ben White is the only Arsenal star guaranteed to miss the Champions League final following his season-ending injury during the win over West Ham. He was spotted wearing a knee brace during the Premier League title celebrations.
Secure your ultimate European discount before the final whistle with 76% off NordVPN
The ultimate showdown is here. Arsenal are on the march in the Champions League this weekend, ready to fight for Europe's biggest prize and secure their place in football history.
Now is your chance to make your own championship-winning play, by switching to NordVPN. But just like the race to the final whistle, there’s a strict deadline to lock in this world-class deal.
Our Champions League coverage is brought to you in association with NordVPN, the UK's number one VPN according to TechRadar.
A VPN protects your internet connection and online privacy by creating an encrypted tunnel for your data and hiding your IP address, allowing you to safely stream the big match even on public Wi-Fi. With NordVPN, you can block malicious websites, stop web trackers, and monitor data leaks all in one app.
Get 76% off your NordVPN deal for the first two years plus four months extra free.
Luis Enrique has also been dealing with small concerns regarding some of his marquee stars. Ousmane Dembele undoubtedly tops that list after he was taken off early in their final Ligue 1 game of the season against Paris FC.
He has since played down the injury on a number of occasions. Speaking on it just yesterday, the Frenchman said: "No, no, I wasn't scared about missing the final as I stopped when I felt the niggle and I've had 10 or 15 days to get myself in shape before the final.
Ousmane Dembele during a PSG training session
View 2 Images
Ousmane Dembele has overcome a calf injury
"The season was complicated for everyone at PSG, we didn't have a lot of down time but the coach and the staff kept a hand over scheduling tweaks so we could make the Champions League final, I'm 100% ready and raring to go."
Full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes have missed the last few weeks through injury but have been in PSG training this week with Enrique confirming the good news in his press conference.
He said: "Haki and Nuno, they are OK, they are able to play tomorrow."
Article continues below
Willian Pacho had also been struggling for fitness but he looks set to have recovered. As for goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier and young forward Quentin Ndjantou, they are both expected to be absent because of injury