Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is sweating over the fitness of key midfielder Thomas Partey ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
The Ghana midfielder scored the opening goal in the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Brentford in the Premier League but was then forced off shortly afterwards with a knock of unspecified severity.
Partey seems to have avoided a serious problem, but he will need a once-over alongside Jorginho and Ben White, the former of whom suffered a blow to the ribs against the Bees after White was ruled out before kickoff.
Partey was fielded as an emergency right-back at the weekend, but Jurrien Timber will no doubt come back into the fray at the Bernabeu, where Myles Lewis-Skelly will attempt to nullify Rodrygo yet again.
As Riccardo Calafiori‘s knee is still giving him grief, Jakub Kiwior – hailed for his defensive display alongside William Saliba last week – has earned the right to continue in front of David Raya.
Further forward, Partey will no doubt anchor the midfield if fit enough, while Martin Odegaard and first-leg hero Declan Rice – the only player to score two free kicks in a single UCL knockout game – are shoo-ins.
Following Rice’s sensational set-pieces, Mikel Merino bagged his fourth career goal against Real Madrid – against no side does he boast more – and the Spaniard is set to continue up top with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, unless he is required in midfield.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli
> Click here to see how Real Madrid could line up for the second leg
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