Arsenal will miss Partey’s physical presence, which was an asset when they beat PSG in October, and Merino will need to live up to his nickname of the ‘Duel Monster’ to stop Joao Neves and Vitinha running the show. The midfield battle will be key, but not as intriguing as the one out wide.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged fans to “bring your boots” and “play every ball together” ahead of their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.