Jurrien Timber Returns to Arsenal’s Starting Lineup for the Champions League Final. Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Jurrien Timber is ready to play against PSG in the Champions League final. Arsenal is facing personnel issues in defense. A large influx of fans is expected in Budapest.
Ahead of the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain, the London club's head coach Mikel Arteta announced that Jurrien Timber has fully recovered from his injury and is ready to start. This decision proved pivotal amid the absence of Ben White, who is sidelined with a knee injury, and the urgent need to reinforce the problematic spot in defense.
Timber has not appeared on the pitch since March, when he suffered a groin injury in a match against Everton. During this period, Arsenal was forced to experiment with the lineup: both center-back Cristian Mosquera and midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice played on the right side of defense. In training sessions in Budapest, Timber has already been working with the main group, confirming his readiness for the final.
An additional boost for Arteta has been the return of Noni Madueke, who recently sustained a hamstring injury in a game against Crystal Palace but is now also available for selection. The final will be held on May 30 at 17:00 UK time at Puskas Arena, where Arsenal will try to secure their second major trophy of the season after their long-awaited Premier League triumph.
Despite already clinching the English championship, Arteta emphasized that the team is not lowering its standards and is aiming for victory in the Champions League. According to him, the current success should be only a starting point for new achievements, and the players’ confidence is the key to a result against the defending champions.
PSG approaches the final as the favorite and reigning champion of the tournament. Last year, the French club knocked Arsenal out at the semifinal stage and now hopes to become only the second team in Champions League history to defend its title. Arteta noted that Arsenal's goal is to take the trophy from the current winner.
A significant influx of fans is expected in Budapest: according to police estimates, at least 10,000 supporters without tickets will arrive in the city. The capacity of Liszt Ferenc Airport will almost double over the weekend, reaching 85,000 people. The Puskas Arena stadium holds 61,400 spectators, with 17,000 tickets allocated to each club. Nearly 4,000 police officers will be on duty in the city to maintain order, and a separate fan zone on Heroes' Square will be arranged for ticketless fans.
The final and its highlights will be available on the BBC Sport website, on social media, and on BBC iPlayer and television in the evening after the match. Radio commentary will be provided by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, starting at 15:00 UK time.
The topic of Arsenal's lineup and Timber's return was already discussed in detail by russpain.com, where personnel decisions and the possible impact of Ben White's absence on the outcome against PSG were analyzed. For more about the key changes in the team, see the article on Arsenal's preparations for the Champions League final.
The Champions League finals traditionally attract heightened interest in Spain, where football remains one of the main topics of public life. In recent years, Spanish clubs have regularly reached the decisive stages of the tournament, and the final broadcasts draw multimillion audiences. This season, attention to the match in Budapest is fueled not only by sporting intrigue, but also by security concerns related to the mass arrival of fans from various European countries.
