Arsenal Squad Boost: Saka, Rice, and Zubimendi Ready for City Showdown
Arsenal have been handed exactly the lift they wanted before Sunday’s showdown with Manchester City: Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are back in the frame.
Mikel Arteta, speaking ahead of the curtain-raiser, cut a confident figure as he ran through the state of his squad and name-checked new signing Martin Zubimendi among those ready to go.
“They will be available, they trained with us today, they will train tomorrow and if they are in the condition that we expect them to be, they will be involved,” he said, underlining just how central that trio could be to his plans against the champions.
Saka, Rice and Zubimendi ready to roll
After a demanding summer, Arteta made a point of praising the attitude of his players, highlighting how many had reported back ahead of schedule and in sharp physical condition.
“Most of them [came back] earlier than expected, really fit with all the testing and they all seem in great condition,” he noted, a line that will only fuel the sense that Arsenal intend to start fast rather than grow into the season.
With Saka’s creativity, Rice’s control and Zubimendi’s potential debut all on the table, Arsenal’s midfield and attacking options look strong for a first test against Enzo Maresca’s side.
Defensive headaches linger
The picture is far less straightforward at the back.
Arteta confirmed that Jurrien Timber and William Saliba will both miss the clash as they continue their rehabilitation. Saliba, crucial to Arsenal’s defensive structure when fit, is facing a lengthy absence.
The manager did not sugar-coat it, describing Saliba’s issue as a “long-term injury.” That single phrase shifts the mood around Arsenal’s defensive planning for the coming months.
Timber’s outlook is brighter, but not immediate. He is edging closer, yet still short of being ready to start a competitive game.
“Jurrien is progressing really well,” Arteta said. “He is on the pitch, we are ramping up now with certain actions and especially the volume and the load. I think he is on a good trajectory, but there is still a few weeks to go. Wilo, as we all know, it's more a long-term injury.”
Timber’s careful road back
Timber’s importance to Arteta’s tactical scheme is obvious. His ability to play across the back line and step into midfield makes him a key piece of the puzzle, and Arsenal are in no mood to rush him.
The Dutch defender is expected to move into full group training soon, with Arteta indicating that the next seven to ten days will be decisive as he starts to rejoin his teammates on the grass.
“We have to wait and see,” Arteta explained. “He needs to start to train with the group in the next week or so hopefully, and then see how he progresses from there. It's been a long-term issue, and we want to make sure that every step that we take is the right one, he feels right to do that, because he's such an important player for us.”
The message is clear: no shortcuts, even with Manchester City looming and the season stretching out ahead.
Eyes still on the market
Away from the treatment room, the transfer window still hums in the background.
Linked with several high-profile defenders as the deadline nears, Arsenal are clearly assessing options, but Arteta refused to be drawn on specific targets. He did, however, leave no doubt about the scale of the club’s intent.
“I am not going to talk about an individual but what I can obviously tell you is [about] the ambition of the club,” he said. “It is big that we want to improve the squad, we want to evolve the squad, in order to achieve. We have detected some areas that they can be a strength in – that is what we are trying to do.”
Saka and Rice back, Zubimendi ready, the defence patched together, and the market still in play: Arsenal step into Sunday with belief, but also with the knowledge that this squad is still being built for the battles to come.
