Final-week training has produced the cleanest team-news picture of the Champions League knockout phase. PSG go into Saturday with a fully fit squad and one tactical call still open at the tip of the attack. Arsenal carry one significant injury question at left-back and a competition for the third forward slot that Mikel Arteta has been deliberately ambiguous about in press all week. The lineups below are our final-week read, updated after Wednesday's official UEFA media day.
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PSG team news — Luis Enrique's full squad and the Doué question
PSG come into the final with no fresh injury concerns. Marquinhos returned to full training on Monday after the dead leg picked up in the semi-final second leg, Hakimi has trained without a strapping all week, and the only minor flag is Vitinha's reported flu earlier in the week — Luis Enrique confirmed in the UEFA press conference on Thursday that Vitinha trained in full on Wednesday and Thursday and will start.
The tactical question is the tip of the attack. Luis Enrique has spent the spring oscillating between Dembélé as a false nine with Doué and Kvaratskhelia as the wide forwards, and a more orthodox setup with Mbappé starting centrally. Mbappé started the quarter-final second leg and the semi-final first leg but came off the bench for the semi-final second leg — the version of the side that closed out Leverkusen. Our read is that the closing semi-final setup is the one Luis Enrique trusts most, which means Doué starts and Mbappé becomes the matchday-impact substitute.
PSG predicted XI (4-3-3)
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Dembélé, Doué, Kvaratskhelia.
Bench includes Mbappé, Ramos, Barcola — the impact-substitute spine that has decided three of PSG's knockout matches this year.
Arsenal team news — Calafiori or Timber, and the third forward
Arsenal's injury picture is less clean. Calafiori was substituted in the 73rd minute of the semi-final second leg with what Mikel Arteta described as a tight hamstring; the Italian trained on Tuesday and Wednesday with the medical staff watching closely and was withdrawn from Thursday's session as a precaution. Arteta in the UEFA press conference on Thursday confirmed Calafiori would be in the matchday squad but declined to commit to a starting role.
If Calafiori starts, Arsenal's left-back side of the pitch is its strongest version. If Timber starts instead — which is the cleaner risk-averse call — Arsenal lose the line-breaking carry that Calafiori provides on overlaps and become more conservative on the Dembélé-Hakimi side of the pitch. Our read is that Calafiori starts but is withdrawn between the 60th and 70th minute regardless of the scoreline.
The third forward question is between Martinelli and Trossard. Both have started Champions League knockout matches this spring; Martinelli is the in-form player but Trossard is the better tactical fit against PSG's pressing structure. We are calling Martinelli on form, with the caveat that Arteta has been deliberately unclear all week.
Arsenal predicted XI (4-3-3)
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Ødegaard, Merino; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Bench includes Timber, Trossard, Jesus, Nwaneri — the impact-substitute group Arteta has used through the knockout phase.
Confirmed absences and suspensions
| Player | Team | Reason | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beraldo | PSG | Knee — ACL recovery | Pre-season 2026/27 |
| Zaire-Emery | PSG | Stress fracture — foot | 2026/27 |
| Jurriën Timber | Arsenal | Available, bench expected | Matchday |
| Tomiyasu | Arsenal | Calf — long-term | Pre-season 2026/27 |
| Partey | Arsenal | Hamstring — re-aggravated mid-April | Pre-season 2026/27 |
No yellow-card suspensions carry into the final from the semi-final second legs for either side — the yellow accumulation count was reset for the final by UEFA before the round.
Tactical setup — where the match gets decided
Three tactical questions decide the match. First, whether PSG's right-side overload with Dembélé, Hakimi and a rotating Vitinha overload can break Calafiori on the underlap — every match PSG have won in the spring has featured this exact pattern producing the opening goal. Second, whether Arsenal's pressing structure can turn the ball over inside the PSG half before Vitinha builds tempo — Arsenal's xG-against numbers when they win the press in the first 15 minutes are the best in the competition. Third, whether the Champions League final atmosphere produces the kind of match-state where one early goal essentially decides the trophy.
"The Calafiori-or-Timber call is the single biggest team-news variable for the match. Calafiori is Arsenal's strongest version on the ball. Timber is the safer version against PSG's right side. Arteta knows that and he is still genuinely not telling us which way he will go." — Tom Redfern
Final-call lineup decisions to watch in warm-up
The team-news embargo lifts at 19:00 BST on Saturday with the official UEFA team-sheet release. The two-and-a-half windows between the official sheet and kick-off are when the Calafiori-or-Timber decision will be visible — Arsenal's warm-up rotation tells you who is starting before the line-sheet does. If you are betting on a player prop, the warm-up is the time to lock the price before the lineup-confirmation drift hits the bookmaker market.
For the matchday viewing guide including the build-up programme running order, the how to watch the Champions League final in the UK piece has the full TV and stream details. Our full match prediction is in the PSG vs Arsenal prediction. For the bookmaker shortlist UK readers should be checking before kick-off, the UCL final non-GamStop top-3 is the next read.
