Arteta Receives Boost as Timber Cleared for Champions League Final

Mikel Arteta will walk out in Budapest with one significant selection headache removed. Jurrien Timber is not just on the plane. He is ready to start.

On the eve of Arsenal’s Champions League final against holders Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskas Arena, Arteta confirmed that the Dutch defender has come through his groin problem and is fit to be in the XI. Timber travelled with the squad to Hungary, and any lingering doubt over his involvement has now been swept away.

For a team chasing the greatest club prize of all, the timing could hardly be better.

From title celebrations to a date with Europe

Arsenal arrive in Budapest still riding the surge of a Premier League title win, the trophy finally lifted at Selhurst Park last weekend. The champagne has dried, the photos are framed, and the focus has snapped back to one last, brutal hurdle.

PSG stand in their way. Kick-off is 5pm local time on Saturday, and the Puskas Arena will be split between a club that has been waiting decades for this moment and a champion desperate to crown a season that already feels historic.

The squad have completed the journey, the open-top buses swapped for training cones and tactical drills on Hungarian turf. Arteta wants every option available. The medical room has been working overtime to make that happen.

Timber ready to return

Timber’s inclusion is the standout news.

The defender, listed with a groin injury, has been managed carefully in recent days, but Arteta used his pre-match press conference to deliver the line Arsenal supporters wanted to hear: Timber is fit to start.

It gives Arteta flexibility across the back line, both in and out of possession. More importantly, it restores a key part of the structure that has underpinned Arsenal’s surge through Europe this season.

Raya expected to be available

Behind them, there is cautious relief over David Raya.

The goalkeeper missed the final Premier League outing against Crystal Palace with a combination of back, glute and shoulder issues. For a goalkeeper, that cocktail is usually a red flag.

This time, though, the signs are positive. Raya is expected to be available for the final, handing Arteta the continuity he craves in goal on the biggest night of the campaign.

Madueke scare eased

There was also a late-season scare involving Noni Madueke.

The winger suffered a hamstring problem on the final day against Palace and was withdrawn, raising fears of a cruelly timed absence. Those fears have eased. Reports indicated the substitution was precautionary, and Arteta confirmed at his PSG press conference that the England international is fine.

For a side that thrives on width, speed and direct running, having Madueke ready changes the entire feel of Arsenal’s attacking threat.

White ruled out

Not every story has a happy twist.

Ben White’s knee injury, sustained in the win over West Ham United, has already brought his season to an abrupt end. It was described as significant, and there has been no late reversal. He will watch this final from the stands, not the touchline.

Arteta will have to solve that absence without one of his most reliable performers.

The stage in Budapest is set: champions of England against champions of Europe, with Arsenal close to full strength and a key defender cleared for battle. For a season that has already redefined this team, the question now is simple: can they finish it with the one trophy that changes everything?