PSG v Arsenal, update on Achraf Hakimi!

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·19 Mei 2026

PSG v Arsenal, update on Achraf Hakimi!

According to L’Equipe, Achraf Hakimi, 27, Paris Saint-Germain’s right-back, is expected to return to full team training this week. Good news ahead of Arsenal, but also a real dilemma surrounding Warren Zaïre-Emery, 20, the Parisian midfielder who has become a key solution this season.

“Achraf Hakimi will be able to return to full team training this week”

“Achraf Hakimi will be able to return to full team training this week, a little more than three weeks after his injury. Barring a setback, the defender will be in contention for a starting spot against the Gunners as PSG chase a second consecutive Champions League title. All smiles, very relaxed and not limping, the Paris player showed no signs of pain on Sunday at the Stade Jean-Bouin on the sidelines of the clash against Paris FC (1-2).

“This return will inevitably raise the question of what role Warren Zaïre-Emery should have in this final”

This return will inevitably raise the question of what role Warren Zaïre-Emery should have in this final. Fabian Ruiz has returned to his position in midfield, and Hakimi should do the same in defense. The player used most by Luis Enrique since the start of the season could therefore begin on the bench. A difficult decision to explain to the player concerned at the end of such a successful season, in which he has plugged every gap.

“Luis Enrique is trying to convince his players by telling them that substitutes are just as important as starters”

At times like this, Luis Enrique tries to convince his players by telling them that substitutes are just as important as starters. “I like this player and this person so much,” Luis Enrique said a few days ago about “WZE” in a press conference. “He is a real example. What a level! No matter where he is, he is important for the team.”

Hakimi’s expected return first and foremost looks like excellent news for PSG: as a Champions League final approaches, getting a natural starter back in his position provides an extra weapon, especially in a match where intensity and the flanks will carry great weight.

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But this good news also creates a delicate decision. With Fabian Ruiz, 30, back in midfield, and Hakimi set to reclaim the right flank, Zaïre-Emery could find himself without an obvious place in the starting XI. The paradox is harsh: the Frenchman has helped out everywhere, filled in for absences, and delivered in a major season. Luis Enrique will therefore have to choose between the theoretical balance of his team and the sporting reward due to a player who has become essential through his versatility.

In this context, Luis Enrique’s message about the importance of substitutes takes on its full meaning. But in a final, no one dreams of being “important from the bench.” That is where man-management becomes just as decisive as tactics.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.