Arsenal's Key Players Return for Community Shield Clash with Manchester City

Mikel Arteta will have Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka back at his disposal for Arsenal’s Community Shield clash with Manchester City, with the pair cleared to return after their post-World Cup breaks.

The England duo are back in full training following the run to the World Cup semi-finals in North America and are in contention to feature in Sunday’s season curtain-raiser in Cardiff between the Premier League champions and FA Cup holders.

They are not alone.

Martin Zubimendi, fresh from lifting the trophy with Spain last month, is also available again and back in the Arsenal fold.

“They will be available,” Arteta said of Rice, Saka and Zubimendi at his pre-City press conference on Friday. “They trained with us today, they will train tomorrow. If they are in the condition we expect them to be, they will be involved.”

Saka back early, key core reunited

Saka was initially due to report back on Monday. He cut that short. So did Spain goalkeeper David Raya, with both returning earlier than planned on Saturday to accelerate their preparations.

The knock-on effect has been obvious in pre-season. Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino have also checked back in from their holidays and all featured in Wednesday’s friendly draw against Como, along with Raya, as Arteta tried to reassemble his World Cup-split squad.

There is a major absentee, though. William Saliba faces an extended spell out with a long-term back problem that flared up during the World Cup. The issue does not require surgery, but it has ruled him out of the early part of the campaign.

Injury worries eased for Rice and Saka

Saka spent much of the second half of last season nursing an Achilles problem. Rice revealed during the World Cup that neural pain in his hamstring had troubled him since Christmas, on top of a later calf issue and a bout of illness.

Those concerns hung over Arsenal’s run-in. Arteta now believes the reset has done its job.

“We haven’t noticed anything,” he said. “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.”

For a side that leans so heavily on Rice’s control and Saka’s cutting edge, that is no small boost heading into a meeting with City.

Timber and Saliba on different timelines

Not everyone is ready to step back into the spotlight.

Jurrien Timber will miss the showdown with a City team now led by former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. The versatile defender is still working his way back from a persistent groin injury that has troubled him since March and cost him a place at the World Cup, where he did not play, barring a brief appearance off the bench in the Champions League final in May.

Arteta’s latest update carried cautious optimism but no promises.

“[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. With Willy [Saliba], it is a more long-term injury.”

Asked if Timber could return before the international break next month, Arteta refused to set a date.

“I don’t know. We have to wait and see.

“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.”

Rice and Saka back, Zubimendi and Raya in the mix, Timber and Saliba still on the mend: Arsenal’s season starts in Cardiff with a familiar question looming over them. With something close to their strongest core restored, can they finally push City all the way?