PSG's Star Players Hakimi and Dembélé Ready for Arsenal Showdown
Paris Saint-Germain are heading to the Champions League final fully armed. Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé, both major injury doubts in the build-up, have been named in Luis Enrique’s travelling squad to face Arsenal on Saturday.
For PSG, that changes the mood. It feels like a green light.
Hakimi has not played since pulling his hamstring in the first leg of the semi-final against Bayern Munich, an injury that threatened to strip PSG of one of their most aggressive outlets on the right. Dembélé limped out of the final Ligue 1 game of the season against Paris FC with a muscle issue of his own. Both were racing the clock. Both have made it.
Their inclusion does not guarantee they start, but it does send a clear message: PSG are ready to defend their crown with their stars on board.
This is the same Hakimi who opened the scoring in last season’s final, setting PSG on their way to a ruthless 5-0 dismantling of Inter Milan. He thrives on big stages, and this is as big as it gets again.
Arsenal, newly crowned Premier League champions, stand in their way.
Less than a week after lifting the league trophy, Mikel Arteta’s side now chase the biggest prize in European club football. The final, kicking off at 5pm, offers them the chance to turn a memorable campaign into a defining one. Stop PSG, stop the holders, and Arsenal’s season shifts from impressive to era-defining.
They arrive with a fitness boost of their own. Jurrien Timber, out since March with a hamstring injury sustained against Everton, has been named in the travelling squad to Hungary after returning to training this week. The Dutch defender has missed 14 straight matches in all competitions, but his presence in the group hints at fresh depth for Arteta at full-back, even if he is short of rhythm.
PSG know exactly what they are up against, and they are not shying away from it. Bradley Barcola, preparing for his second Champions League final, laid out the mindset inside the French champions’ camp.
“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.”
That sense of collective purpose has history in this tie. PSG are the team that broke Arsenal hearts last season, knocking them out at the semi-final stage. Over two legs, the Ligue 1 side managed the game, controlled the key moments and walked away 3-1 winners on aggregate, with Fabian Ruiz and Hakimi delivering the decisive goals in the second leg.
Arsenal have not forgotten. PSG have not softened.
PSG confirmed squad
- Goalkeepers: Chevalier, Safonov, Renato Marin
- Defenders: Hakimi, Beraldo, Marquinhos, Zabarnyi, L. Hernandez, Nuno Mendes, Pacho
- Midfielders: Fabian, Vitinha, Mayulu, Dro, Zaire-Emery, Joao Neves
The champions travel with their key full-back back in the fold, their winger available, and their belief intact. Arsenal arrive as England’s best, chasing a double and revenge in one breath.
One of them walks away with the trophy. The other walks away with a question: where do you go from here?
