Mikel Arteta Receives Triple Boost Ahead of Man City Clash
Arsenal head into the Community Shield with their spine snapping back into place.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi are all in line to feature against Manchester City in Sunday’s curtain-raiser, with the trio back in full training after their post-World Cup breaks.
“They will be available,” Arteta said on Friday, laying it out plainly. “They trained with us today, they will train tomorrow. If they are in the condition we expect them to be, they will be involved.”
For Arsenal, that’s a serious injection of quality and familiarity before a ball has even been kicked in anger.
Rice, Saka and Zubimendi back in the fold
Rice and Saka have rejoined the squad after England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in North America, while Zubimendi returns following Spain’s tournament triumph last month.
Both Rice and Saka had been carefully managed last season. Saka played through an Achilles problem for much of the run-in. Rice, during the World Cup, spoke about neural pain in his hamstring that had dogged him since Christmas, then had to contend with a calf issue and illness on top.
Arteta, though, is convinced the reset has worked.
“We haven’t noticed anything,” he said of their physical condition. “They have individual plans. Through the time they had with the national team they’ve been trying to evolve those issues and they have improved.
“In the rest period that they had, they both had specific programmes for themselves. They’ve been doing those and so far what I saw the last two or three days, it was really good.”
The timing matters. Arsenal face the Premier League champions in Cardiff with a chance to land an early marker, and having Rice dictating midfield, Saka driving at full-backs and Zubimendi slotting back into Arteta’s structure transforms the feel of the occasion.
Saka was originally due back on Monday, but he and Spain goalkeeper David Raya cut their holidays short and reported on Saturday, a small but telling sign of the hunger inside this squad.
Depth returns – but key absences remain
Arteta’s options do not stop there. Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino have also returned from their post-World Cup breaks and all featured in Wednesday’s pre-season draw with Como, along with Raya.
The squad suddenly looks deeper, sharper, more like the group that chased City into May last season.
Yet there are still gaps.
William Saliba is out for an extended spell with a long-term back issue, aggravated during the World Cup. The problem does not require surgery, but it strips Arsenal of their defensive pillar at a time when they are trying to keep pace with a Manchester City side now reshaped under Enzo Maresca.
On the opposite flank, Jurrien Timber remains sidelined. The versatile defender has been battling a persistent groin injury since March, one that cost him the World Cup entirely and limited him to a brief cameo off the bench in the Champions League final in May.
Arteta’s update on Timber carried both optimism and caution.
“[He is] progressing really well,” the Arsenal manager said. “He’s on the pitch, we're ramping up now certain actions, especially the volume and the load.
“I think he’s on a good trajectory but still a few weeks to go.”
Asked if Timber could return before the international break next month, Arteta refused to pin down a date.
“I don’t know. We have to wait and see,” he said. “He needs to start to train with the group in the next week or so hopefully and then see how he progresses from there.
“But obviously it’s been a long-term issue and we want to make sure that every step that we take is the right one. He’s such an important player for us.”
Statement opportunity in Cardiff
So Arsenal arrive in Cardiff with their attacking and midfield stars back, their defensive anchor missing, and one of their most versatile defenders still counting down the weeks.
It still feels like a chance.
An early shot at silverware against the champions, a first look at Rice, Saka and Zubimendi in competitive action after the World Cup, and a platform to show whether last season’s title push was a peak or a preview of what’s coming next.
