Gunners boost as key star not in PSG starting XI vs Arsenal amid fitness doubt
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele will not be in the starting XI when the Ligue 1 club take on Arsenal later tonight, according to French journalist Fabrice Hawkins.
The France international has not played since the Gunners lost 1-0 to PSG last week and only returned to training earlier this week after missing out on action at the weekend.
Dembele is not fit enough to start against the visitors and it appears manager Luis Enrique has opted to leave him on the bench.
It could work in the favour of Arsenal as they look to bounce back from the defeat last time out, and manager Mikel Arteta will be desperate to overturn the deficit and book a place in the final of the Champions League to play Inter Milan.
The Serie A club won 4-3 against Barcelona at San Siro after 120 minutes last night having played out a 3-3 draw against the La Liga club in the first-leg of the other semi-final last week, and the North Londoners will have one eye on the final despite heading into the game tonight with plenty of work to do.
The Gunners will have Thomas Partey available after the Ghana international midfielder missed out on the first-leg due to suspension, and his return to their starting line-up tonight should be a much-needed boost.
Arsenal are not guaranteed victory tonight despite the expected absence of Dembele from the starting XI given the attacking options available to Enrique, and they will need to play their best football tonight to leave Parc des Princes with the ticket to the final.
An exciting game is on the cards, and while fans may not get something similar to the fireworks Inter and Barca produced last night, they can expect some fine football from both teams as they fight to book a spot to face the Italians on May 31.
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