Paris Saint-Germain have announced their squad for Saturday’s Champions League final against Arsenal, and there’s good news for manager Luis Enrique: both Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi have been included.
Hakimi has been sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in the first leg of the semi-final against Bayern Munich, while Dembélé picked up a problem in PSG’s final Ligue 1 match of the season against Paris FC. Despite concerns over their fitness, their presence in the squad suggests they will be available for the showpiece event.
Hakimi made a memorable impact in last season’s final, scoring the opening goal as PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 to lift the trophy. Now, Arsenal stand in their way as the French side look to defend their crown.
The Gunners are enjoying a remarkable campaign themselves, having lifted the Premier League trophy less than a week ago. They will be desperate to add more silverware on Saturday.
Just a day after PSG’s positive news, Arsenal received an injury boost of their own. Defender Jurrien Timber has been named in the squad travelling to Hungary after returning to training this week.
The Dutchman has been out of action since March, when he suffered a hamstring injury against Everton. That setback caused him to miss the last 14 matches across all competitions.
Ahead of the final, PSG winger Bradley Barcola issued a defiant message to their English opponents.
“It’s a great honour to be playing in a second final,” he told club media. “We’re going to do everything we can to win it. We’re trying to build as much confidence as possible ahead of this final, and we’re going to work hard to make sure we’re ready.
“I really think it’s our collective strength. The fact that we play together, attack together and defend together. We really play as a team, and that’s our greatest strength right now.”
PSG will also have history on their minds: they knocked Arsenal out of the same competition at the semi-final stage last season, winning 3–1 on aggregate thanks to second-leg goals from Fabián Ruiz and Hakimi.
