Arsenal injury news: Gunners receive double boost ahead of HUGE Champions League clash but defender looks set to miss out | OneFootball

Arsenal have been boosted by the involvement of duo Mikel Merino and Ben White in training ahead of their Champions League semi-final first-leg with PSG.

Both missed Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last week through injury.

Speaking after the game, Arteta said: “They couldn’t be involved – if not they would have been. Unfortunately, after the game [against Ipswich] we had some issues and they are not fit.”

But both were spotted in the Gunners’ open training session in front of the cameras ahead of the first leg with PSG.

There was again no sign of Riccardo Calafiori, however, who has been absent recently with a knee injury he suffered while playing for Italy.

Boss Mikel Arteta had been hopeful that he could return for the game against PSG but that now looks unlikely.

White has endured another frustrating campaign with injury, missing more than two months of the campaign after having knee surgery and has had to miss games since returning because of knocks.

Prior to the draw with Palace, White started and played the entirety of the game in his side’s 4-0 thrashing of Ipswich, and afterwards Arteta singled him out for specific praise after what has been a difficult season.

“Very happy for Ben, especially because he’s missed a lot of football,” Arteta said.

“He’s been so consistent and regular in the last few seasons with us, and this season, for different reasons, he hasn’t been able to play that many minutes.

“Today I think he played a really good game, so very happy because, I mean, he’s got a lot of quality, he brings something else to that unit.”

Merino, meanwhile, has proved to be the answer to Arsenal’s striker shortage, being used as a makeshift centre-forward and performing well despite playing out of position.

Arteta has used Leandro Trossard as a striker too of late, however, with the possibility that Merino could return to his more usual midfield role against PSG given the absence of Thomas Partey through suspension.

Arsenal remain without Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu for the clash, however.