Riccardo Calafiori is fit for Arsenal’s Emirates Cup showdown against Athletic Club today.
The Gunners are hosting the Spanish club at Emirates Stadium in what is their final pre-season friendly.
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Calafiori, Kai Havertz and LeandroTrossard all missed the 3-2 defeat to Villarreal on Wednesday, but Mikel Arteta was hopeful they could feature at the Emirates.
“Yesterday in training he (Havertz) felt something and this morning he wasn’t quite right,” said Arteta, after the loss to Villarreal.
“So we decided to rest him. I think it’s going to be a matter of a couple of days, hopefully at the weekend, if everything goes to plan, I think he will be fit.
“The three that we lost during the tour, it was Big Gabi, Leo and Ricky, and for Saturday I think both of them (Calafiori and Trossard) have a chance if everything in the next few days evolves in the way it has been evolving in the last few days.”
Arteta is able to hand Calafiori a recall, while Havertz is named on the bench. However, there is no place in the matchday squad for Trossard.
Elsewhere, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber start against Bilbao after making their first appearances of pre-season off the bench on Wednesday.
Midfielders Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi all came off the bench in that game, too, and start together as a trio for the first time.
In attack, Viktor Gyokeres leads the line as he gets more minutes under his belt ahead of next week’s trip to Old Trafford.
Noni Madueke made his first appearance for Arsenal on Wednesday and should get more minutes off the bench.
Confirmed team news
Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard (C), Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Substitutes: Kepa, Rojas, White, Mosquera, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Lokonga, Merino, Madueke, Nwaneri, Nelson, Havertz
