Three ways Arsenal could line up without Thomas Partey against PSG | OneFootball

Midfielder suspended for first leg of Champions League semi-final after yellow card against Real Madrid

Partey was booked late on against Real Madrid and has been hit with a one-game ban

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Thomas Partey will miss the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain due to suspension.

Partey was booked in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid after pushing Dani Ceballos over when play had been halted.

The yellow card was the third Partey has received in the Champions League this season and he will now serve a one-match ban.

It leaves Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with a selection headache for the first leg at home to PSG on April 29.

Here, Standard Sport looks at three ways the Gunners could line up without Partey…

Shift Rice to the base of midfield

This seems the most likely option.

Rice has excelled as a No8 this season, scoring seven goals and claiming nine assists, but he has plenty of experience playing at the base of midfield.

Declan Rice was named man-of-the-match after an outstanding display as Arsenal beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu

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The England star offers more athleticism and physicality than Jorginho, who is also out injured at the moment, and that could be key against a young, dynamic PSG side.

Rice dropping deep would have a knock-on effect ahead of him, though.

Mikel Merino, who has been playing as a striker, would have to drop into midfield unless Arteta trusted someone like Oleksandr Zinchenko to start.

Moving Merino could mean Leandro Trossard starting as Arsenal’s striker.

The Belgian has filled in there recently and scored at Everton earlier this month while playing as a false nine.

Possible line-up (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli

Bring Jorginho into the team

Assuming he can get fit in time, starting Jorginho would cause minimal disruption to the rest of the side.

The 33-year-old also brings a wealth of experience at this level and that could be handy in such a huge game.

Jorginho could come into the team but there are doubts about his fitness

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Questions are often asked about his ability to get around the pitch, but alongside Martin Odegaard and Rice he would be flanked by plenty of pace and power.

The concern is whether Jorginho is fit by then after he missed Wednesday’s win with injury.

The Italian came off during last weekend’s draw with Brentford after he was having trouble breathing.

Jorginho landed on his ribs when challenging for a ball and could not continue, with Arteta due to update on his fitness on Friday at his next press conference.

Possible line-up (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli

Move Timber to midfield and bring in White

This is the most left-field solution and it would be a bold experiment by Arteta in a huge game.

When Arsenal signed Jurrien Timber, they believed he could play at the base of midfield if needed and he has done so for Ajax in the past.

Bringing Ben White into the team would allow Jurrien Timber fill in for Partey

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Timber could move there, which would allow Merino and Rice to stay as the No9 and No8 respectively.

It would leave Arsenal short at right-back - but that could be solved by Arteta bringing Ben White into the team.

White has returned to action this month after undergoing knee surgery back in November. He has started just once, but could get minutes before the PSG game as Arsenal face Ipswich and Crystal Palace before then.

Possible line-up (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Timber, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli