Timber Ready to Start in Champions League Final Against PSG
On the eve of Arsenal’s biggest night in over a decade, Mikel Arteta delivered the news every travelling supporter wanted to hear: Jurrien Timber is fit to start the Champions League final.
Arsenal face holders Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday evening, a 5pm kick-off that could crown a season already etched into club folklore. The Premier League trophy has barely settled into its new cabinet space at the Emirates after being lifted at Selhurst Park last weekend. Now comes the chance to add the biggest prize in European football.
The squad have already touched down in Hungary, training under the late-spring light as Arteta fine-tunes a side that has carried his ideas from theory to silverware. Selection, not system, is the intrigue this time.
Timber ready to return to the spotlight
Jurrien Timber’s inclusion is the headline call. Listed with a groin problem, the versatile defender had travelled with the group, sparking optimism that he might at least make the bench. Arteta went further in his pre-match press conference: Timber is ready to start.
For a manager who values control in every phase, having Timber’s composure and press resistance back in the XI is a significant tactical weapon. It gives Arsenal flexibility at full-back and in their build-up, and it restores a piece of the defensive puzzle that has been missing.
Raya back in the frame
Behind that back line, David Raya is also expected to return.
The goalkeeper sat out the final Premier League game of the season at Crystal Palace with a combination of back, glute and shoulder issues, a precautionary absence rather than a dramatic late twist. The expectation around the camp is clear: he will be available for the final.
Raya’s calm under pressure and distribution have been central to Arsenal’s evolution this season. His recovery in time for Budapest keeps the spine of Arteta’s preferred side intact.
Madueke scare eased
There was a brief scare over Noni Madueke on the final day of the league campaign, the winger forced off with a hamstring complaint against Palace. The timing, a week out from a Champions League final, could hardly have been worse.
The tension eased quickly. Reports suggested the change was precautionary, and Arteta confirmed at his media duties before facing PSG that the England international is fine.
That matters. Madueke’s direct running and one‑v‑one threat offer a different kind of outlet in wide areas, particularly against a PSG side that can be stretched in transition. For a match likely to swing on moments, having his pace in reserve or from the start is a luxury.
White ruled out
Not everyone has made it.
Ben White, a cornerstone of Arsenal’s defensive resurgence, will watch from the sidelines. A significant knee injury picked up in the win over West Ham United brought a brutal, premature end to his season.
His absence strips Arteta of a dependable, versatile defender who has quietly underpinned much of Arsenal’s work without the ball. It also places extra emphasis on Timber’s readiness and the depth around him.
Timber cleared. Raya expected back. Madueke available. White out.
Arsenal arrive in Budapest with their season already gilded, but the stage in front of them offers something rarer still: the chance to turn a great campaign into an era-defining one.
