Arsenal predicted XI for PSG clash as Mikel Arteta given timely injury boost

Riccardo Calafiori has shaken off any injury fears ahead of Arsenal's clash with PSG on Tuesday night.

The Gunners will return to Champions League action having been held in their opening game. Confidence is high following their late show against Leicester, where they scored twice in added time to turn a potential stalemate into three points.

Calafiori played the full 90 minutes but did pick up a knock, sparking fears he may miss the clash at the Emirates, but he is expected to start when the French champions come to town. Arsenal continue to be without Martin Odegaard, but he is the only major absentee.

Arsenal didn't train on Sunday with Ben White also fighting to be in contention for the Champions League contest. Jurrien Timber's versatility is likely to come in handy with the Dutchman poised to start ahead of his English colleague.

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Both Timber and Calafiori are essentially new arrivals into the squad with Timber's 12 month long injury meaning he missed the entirety of last season whilst the Italian was a summer capture. Arteta has hailed the variety they bring to what is an impressive backline.

He said: "They are two players that have a football brain, the intelligence, the quality and adaptability to occupy different spaces whether attacking or defending."

Elsewhere Kai Havertz is poised to continue as a false 9 with Leandro Trossard's influence showing no sign of stopping. The Belgian was again on the scoresheet at the weekend and has come up with some big goals in Europe whilst at the Gunners.

Tuesday night's fixture is another example of Arsenal's rise with big Champions League nights against European heavyweights missing from the Emirates calendar for several years. Now the Gunners are considered contenders for the tournament with Arteta buoyed by the challenge.

"Everybody is looking forward to it," he said. "We missed it for a number of years, and last year was the first one after so many years that we had the experience to do it. The group stage is a bit different this season and the opposition we are going to face tomorrow is probably at the highest level that you can face in European football. But honestly, it’s a good opportunity for us to see how we deal with these nights, how prepared we are and how we can impose ourselves in this kind of context."

Arsenal's predicted line-up: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Jorginho; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli, Havertz.

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