Views: 10
Arsenal set for Champions League suspension boost vs PSG as Partey hint given.
Arsenal will get a welcome boost ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners will face the Ligue 1 outfit in the second leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night as they aim to reach the Champions League final.
Mikel Arteta’s side trail 1-0 from the defeat at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg last week, meaning they will have to win in the French capital to have a chance of progressing to the final in Munich later this month.
Arsenal were without several key players for the first-leg defeat to PSG, meaning of whom were on the sidelines due to injury. One who wasn’t, though, was Thomas Partey, who was suspended for the clash in North London.
Partey served a one-match ban in the first leg against PSG after picking up three yellow cards in the Champions League before the conclusion of the quarter-final stage. The midfielder has now served his suspension and will be available for the second leg in Paris on Wednesday night.
Speaking to ESPN this week, Arteta appeared to confirm Partey is likely to start as he listed the midfielder among a number of ‘starters’ the Gunners had missing for the first leg.
Arteta said: “Look, when I was going through the tunnel, I see [Takehiro] Tomiyasu out, [Riccardo] Calafiori out, Gabriel Magalhães out, Kai Havertz out, Gabriel Jesus out, Thomas Partey out, Jorginho out. Starters!
“And I see the team compete and I get goosebumps. Because we have a lot of merit and yet the game was by very, very, very small margins that weren’t on our side that day. That’s why I’m very optimistic.”
Yellow cards in the Champions League were wiped out after the quarter-final stage came to an end. As a result, the threshold for three bookings equalling a one-match ban no longer applies going into the second leg of the semi-final against PSG.
Arsenal currently have four players who have received two bookings across the Champions League so far this season – Jurrien Timber, David Raya, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli.
None of the four players are in danger of being suspended for the Champions League final if they were to receive a booking against PSG on Wednesday night.
The only way any player could serve a ban for the final is if they are either shown a red card or pick up two yellow cards in the second leg in Paris.
football