PSV vs. Arsenal lineups, confirmed starting 11, team news, injuries: Merino leads attack in UCL first leg

Dom Farrell

PSV vs. Arsenal lineups, confirmed starting 11, team news, injuries: Merino leads attack in UCL first leg image

Arsenal travel to face familiar foes PSV in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

PSV played out a 1-1 draw against Mikel Arteta's side in last season's group stage, something they will hope is more of an omen than the 4-0 defeat they suffered at Emirates Stadium.

The two teams shared home wins in the 2022/23 Europa League group stage, although the Gunners are winless in their past four visits to the Philips Stadion.

Here's the latest team news ahead of the game, with PSV's USMNT contingent struggling in the treatment room.

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PSV vs. Arsenal lineups, confirmed starting 11, team news

In a predicament to which Arteta can relate, PSV boss Peter Bosz has problems in attack, with USMNT duo Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi each ruled out alongside teenage winger Esmir Bajraktarevic.

PSV brought in free agent and ex-Gunner Lucas Perez to bolster their numbers up front but he is not registered for European competition, meaning veteran striker Luuk de Jong captains the side on his 50th Champions League appearance.

Sergino Dest is closing in on a return from his ACL injury but is still yet to feature this season, and Mauro Junior is also not ready to be involved, so Manchester United loanee Tyrell Malacia starts at left-back.

PSV starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Benitez (GK) — Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Malacia — Saibari, Schouten, Til — Perisic, De Jong, Lang

PSV subs: Karsdorp, Obispo, Bakayoko, Drommel, Driouech, Veerman, Schiks, Babadi, Land, Nagalo

Injured: Bajraktarevic (illness), Dest (knee), Pepi (knee), Tillman (ankle), Dest (ACL), Mauro Junior (bone bruise)
Suspended: None

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Arsenal's goal-scoring problems were laid bare over the course of back-to-back goalless Premier League outings against West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

With Bukayo SakaKai HavertzGabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all still sidelined, Arteta has turned again to Mikel Merino to lead the attack, the midfielder having scored two important goals off the bench at Leicester City a few weeks back.

Raheem Sterlingwhose 21 appearances in all competitions since joining on loan from Chelsea have yielded one goal against Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup, is on the bench.

Miles Lewis-Skelly is available once more after serving a domestic suspension and comes back in for Riccardo Calafiori at left-back.

Arsenal starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly — Odegaard, Partey, Rice — Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard

Arsenal subs: Tierney, White, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Sterling, Neto, Calafiori, Setford, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia

Injured: Saka (hamstring), Havertz (hamstring), Martinelli (hamstring), Jesus (ACL), Tomiyasu (knee)
Suspended: None

PSV vs. Arsenal live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Champions League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

RegionTV channelStreaming
USA —Paramount+, ViX
Canada —DAZN
UK —Amazon Prime Video
Australia —Stan Sport

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Dom Farrell

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.