Photo: SonoGrazy / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are available for Sunday's Community Shield against Manchester City at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
"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," Arteta said on Friday.
On Jurrien Timber, Arteta said the defender is progressing well but still needs a few more weeks. "He is on the pitch. We are ramping up now with certain actions and especially the volume and the load, and I think he is on a good trajectory, but there is still a few weeks to go." William Saliba, he added, is dealing with a longer-term injury.
Arteta declined to comment on reported transfer targets Jarell Quansah and Ezri Konsa, but acknowledged the club is actively looking to strengthen. "The ambition of the club is big, we want to improve the squad, we want to evolve the squad, and in order to achieve that, we have obviously detected some areas that can be strengthened."
On Ethan Nwaneri's future, Arteta was measured. "I want him to be at the club but something is in the middle — long term, what is best for the player as well? Ethan needs to play football, and if he stays here, it's because we can guarantee that he can have those minutes."
Arteta praised outgoing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola at length, calling him "the best coach in the history of football." He added: "He has elevated all the coaches and teams to work in different ways, and he's made all of us better."
On Guardiola's successor Enzo Maresca, Arteta said: "I know Enzo has the character and especially the knowledge to do an unbelievable job there."
Arsenal won the Premier League title last season, earning them a place in Sunday's curtain-raiser. The match at the Principality Stadium is Cardiff's first hosting of the fixture since 2007.