Arsenal Boosted by Saka and Rice Return Before Manchester City Clash

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 with a noticeable edge of confidence in his pre-match press conference, confirmed that the pair – along with new signing Martin Zubimendi – are in contention for the curtain-raiser.

“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, underlining just how central the trio are to his plans.

The mood around London Colney reflects that. After a demanding summer, the manager made a point of highlighting the attitude inside the dressing room. Most of his squad cut their holidays short, reported back early and hit the testing in what he described as “really fit” condition. For a side trying to keep pace with City over a full season, those details matter.

Defensive worries cloud bright attacking news

The optimism around Saka, Rice and Zubimendi is not mirrored at the back. Arsenal’s defensive picture remains far less straightforward.

Arteta confirmed that Jurrien Timber and William Saliba will both sit out the clash with Enzo Maresca’s team as they continue their rehabilitation. One absence feels temporary. The other sounds far more serious.

Saliba, he admitted, is dealing with a “long-term injury,” a blunt assessment that suggests Arsenal will have to plan without one of their defensive pillars for a significant spell. Timber’s outlook is brighter, but not yet close enough for a competitive return.

“Jurrien is progressing really well,” Arteta said, offering a more detailed glimpse into the Dutchman’s recovery. “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.”

The message is clear: caution over desperation.

Timber’s importance to Arteta’s tactical framework is no secret. His ability to play across the back line and step into midfield has been central to the manager’s evolving ideas, and the club is refusing to rush him. The next phase of his recovery will be decisive.

Arteta expects the next seven to ten days to be critical as Timber edges towards full group training. “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,” he explained. “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.”

For now, Arsenal will have to find solutions without two key defenders, just as the season’s first marker arrives against the champions.

Eyes still on the market

Injuries at the back inevitably sharpen the focus on recruitment. Arteta did nothing to cool talk of further movement before the window closes, even if he refused to be drawn on individual targets.

Linked heavily with defensive reinforcements, Arsenal are clearly still active. The manager instead chose to frame it around the club’s wider ambition.

“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. Timber close but not quite there. Saliba facing the long road. A squad still being shaped in the market.

Against Manchester City, we will find out how ready this version of Arsenal really is.