Arsenal's build-up to the Champions League final is mapped out in detail. Arsenal are set to have Monday off, return to the training centre on Tuesday, then train fully on Wednesday and Thursday before flying to Budapest that day. Mikel Arteta has made the week sound less like a normal run-in and more like a controlled lead-in to the biggest game of the season.

How Arteta wants the week to run

Arteta's message was about energy as much as organisation. Speaking to football.london, he said: "We need to do it because we need that energy to flow, and going against that, I think it will be a big mistake."

He added: "We talked about already what we have to do in Budapest, how we're going to use all the incredible energy that we're all carrying towards that final, and tomorrow we're going to start to prepare it."

That fits the schedule Arsenal have set. Day off on Monday, training on Tuesday, full work on Wednesday and Thursday, then travel to Budapest. Their parade is also expected to start in north London on Sunday at 2pm UK time, which tells you how tightly this week has been planned around the final.

PSG's injury doubts are real, but not settled

Paris Saint Germain have a couple of fitness questions hanging over them. Achraf Hakimi has been sidelined since the Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich almost a month ago, and he did not take part in PSG's internal training match over the weekend, instead continuing individual work. The brief on Ousmane Dembélé is less severe but still unsettled, with the winger sidelined after being replaced during the first half of PSG's loss to Paris FC.

The numbers explain why both are being watched closely. Hakimi has 12 Champions League appearances and 6 assists this season. Dembélé has scored 7 Champions League goals, with a 7.18 rating in the competition. PSG are not going into Budapest with no quality, but the right side and the front line both look worth monitoring.

Arsenal can only control their own week. The rest is on PSG, and the final will tell us whether those doubts matter on the night.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →