Arteta provides fitness updates ahead of Community Shield

Mikel Arteta has provided the first fitness update of the new season as Arsenal prepare for their Community Shield encounter against Manchester City at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal players returning from international duty have impressed the manager with their physical condition. Arteta noted that most members of the squad returned earlier than anticipated and appear to be in great shape following recent testing.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi have not featured in any pre-season matches since their international commitments. However, Arteta confirmed that all three players trained with the squad this week and could be involved in the match against City if they maintain their expected levels of fitness.

The manager stated that there are no concerns regarding the availability of Saka or Rice. He explained that both players followed individual programmes during their time with their national teams to manage their conditioning, and their recent training sessions have been positive.

Defensive options remain limited for the upcoming fixture as Jurrien Timber and William Saliba are unavailable. Timber is currently progressing through a rehabilitation programme that involves increasing his workload and volume on the pitch. Arteta suggested the defender might join full group training within the next week.

William Saliba remains sidelined with a long-term injury. While the manager did not provide a specific timeline for his return, he emphasized the importance of ensuring the player takes the correct steps in his recovery process.