Arsenal receive major boost ahead of Champions League clash with Real Madrid

MADRID: Arsenal have been handed a boost ahead of their high-stakes UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, scheduled to be played here at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday.

The Gunners were facing a Backline concern following a late injury setback to Dutch defender Jurrien Timber.

Timber, who had recently returned to form, was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a late injury issue.

He has been replaced by Ben White, who has rejoined Arsenal's squad in their first training session after missing the recent Premier League tie against Brentford.

His availability provides crucial support to Mikel Arteta’s backline and comes at a time when Arsenal are in a strong position to secure their first Champions League semi-final berth in 16 years as they hold a 3-0 aggregate lead over the 15-time champions.

On the other hand, Jorginho picked up a chest injury in the Bees and will not be able to travel to Santiago Bernabéu, as per the international media.

As his replacement, Thomas Partey is anticipated to travel with the squad to Madrid, despite a recent injury scare picked up during the Brentford match.

Partey’s presence will further strengthen Arsenal’s battle for midfield control against Real’s seasoned stars, according to Fabrizio Romano.

With both teams eyeing a place in the semi-finals, Wednesday night’s clash promises to be an electrifying encounter as Arsenal will be eager to make their mark on the European stage, lifted by the return of key players and a growing sense of belief within the squad.

"Well, I think it’s going to be one of the biggest games (for Arsenal) with the situation and the mentality and the need we have. I think we have to be confident, we have to go there and play our game and try to win. It’s very difficult, it’s not going to be easy, we know how good they are and the quality they have from back to front so as I said we have to be confident to play our game and try to win," Partey said.

“We have confidence in our game. We’ve been playing the whole season and I don’t think it will be different we just have to be confident to get the ball from them and keep the ball and try to attack them," he concluded.