Arsenal Stars Return for City Showdown: Arteta's Triple Boost

Mikel Arteta will walk into the Community Shield with his hand significantly strengthened. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi are all back, all available, and all in contention to face Manchester City.

The Arsenal manager confirmed the news on Friday, a sizeable lift before Sunday’s season curtain-raiser in Cardiff between the Premier League champions and FA Cup holders.

“They will be available,” Arteta said of Rice, Saka and Zubimendi. “They trained with us today, they will train tomorrow. If they are in the condition we expect them to be, they will be involved.”

England and Spain core back in the fold

Rice and Saka have rejoined the squad after extended breaks following England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in North America. Zubimendi, fresh from lifting the trophy with Spain, has also reported back and moved straight into contention.

Saka was initially due back on Monday. Instead, he and Spain goalkeeper David Raya cut their holidays short and returned on Saturday, a timely boost as Arsenal ramp up preparations for the new campaign.

The returning faces do not stop there. Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino are also back from post-World Cup leave and all featured in Wednesday’s pre-season draw against Como, with Raya also involved.

One notable absentee remains. William Saliba is out for an extended spell with a long-term back problem. The issue, aggravated during the World Cup, does not require surgery but will keep the defender sidelined.

Injury clouds clearing over Rice and Saka

Saka spent much of the second half of last season managing an Achilles problem. Rice revealed during the World Cup how neural pain in his hamstring had dogged him since Christmas, before a calf issue and illness added to his workload.

Those concerns have eased.

“We haven’t noticed anything,” Arteta 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 squad that faded physically at key moments last season, two of its most influential players looking sharp and unencumbered is no small detail heading into a campaign where margins will again be brutal.

Timber still “weeks away” despite progress

Not every update was positive. Jurrien Timber will miss the clash with a City side now led by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, as the defender continues to battle a persistent groin injury that has dogged him since March.

The Dutch international missed the World Cup entirely and only made a brief return off the bench in the Champions League final in May. Arteta has already warned Timber is “weeks away” from a return, and that timeline has not shifted dramatically.

“[He is] progressing really well,” Arteta 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 be back before the international break next month, Arteta would not commit.

“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.”

Arsenal arrive in Cardiff with their core strengthened, their medical bulletin softening, and their eyes fixed on the champions again. The question now is simple: with Rice, Saka and Zubimendi back in the ranks, can they land the first blow of the season against City?