Arsenal hopeful over huge injury boost for PSG but Mikel Arteta facing midfield problem

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·18 April 2025

Arsenal hopeful over huge injury boost for PSG but Mikel Arteta facing midfield problem

Gunners looking notably short on options in one major area for Champions League semi-final first-leg showdown

Riccardo Calafiori is expected to be back for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain, but Jorginho is a doubt.

Both players are currently out injured and will not be ready to face Ipswich in the Premier League on Sunday.

Jorginho is absent with a rib injury picked up last weekend during Arsenal’s draw against Brentford, while Calafiori is coming back from a knee issue sustained playing for Italy last month.

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Calafiori is progressing well with his recovery and is set to make the Arsenal squad for the first leg of their semi-final clash with PSG on April 29.

“If everything goes well, I think so - maybe a little bit earlier,” said manager Mikel Arteta. “Let’s see. He is on the pitch already.

“He is doing quite a lot of stuff and we just need to make the right steps now to make sure when he is back, he is in a good place to perform.

“Jorgi is not going to be available yet [this weekend], he is still struggling with that incident and Ricky [Calafiori] as well probably is not going to be available [this weekend].”

Asked if Jorginho could make the first leg against PSG, Arteta offered no assurances and said: “That’s probably a question for the doctor. It’s quite a specific and difficult matter, so I will leave that to the club to make an analysis.”

Jorginho being out of the first leg against PSG would give Arteta a selection headache because Thomas Partey is suspended for that game.

Partey was booked during the win over Real Madrid on Wednesday night - his third yellow card in the Champions League this season, resulting in a one-match ban.

Jorginho being out leaves Arteta light on options at the base of midfield and Myles Lewis-Skelly has been mentioned as an option.

The 18-year-old has excelled at left-back this season, but came through Arsenal’s academy as a midfielder.

“It will be down to the availability of players in that moment,” said Arteta. “So, who is available, who is able as well to do that, for how long in-game. Because I know we have players that they could not play 90 minutes. So once we are closer to that game, we can decide.”

Kai Havertz is currently out injured, but Arteta has confirmed he is progressing well - although the PSG game will come too soon.

The German injured his hamstring in February and had to have surgery, with the initial diagnosis that he would not return this season.

“Semi-finals? I think that’s too close [for Havertz’s comeback],” said Arteta. “But if I had to bet on him earlier than expected, I would say yes. The way he works every day in that gym, pushing everybody, I don’t think you can hold him much longer.”