Arsenal Pre-Season Begins: Havertz Set for Debut Against Girona
Mikel Arteta is expected to open the curtain on Arsenal’s summer in earnest today – and he has a debut up his sleeve.
The Gunners step out for their first official pre-season fixture against Girona, a sharper test after Saturday’s low-key, behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons. This time, there will be a crowd, a soundtrack, and a clearer look at what Arteta is trying to build ahead of the new campaign.
Havertz poised for first glimpse
With several senior names still absent, the stage is clear for one of the headline acts. Kai Havertz, having been working individually at Bayer Leverkusen’s facilities last week, is in line to come straight into the side and pull on an Arsenal shirt for the first time.
He will do so in a squad still missing a sizeable chunk of its international core. Those who went deep into the World Cup with Spain and England remain on holiday, granted extended rest after their summer exertions. Martin Odegaard is also yet to report back, having pushed Norway into the quarter-finals of the same tournament.
All three groups have ground to make up in terms of fitness, but pre-season waits for no one. Arteta’s plans move on without them.
Defensive reshuffle and injury shadows
At the back, the picture is more complicated. William Saliba faces what the club has described as an “extended period” out with a back injury, a serious blow that forces Arteta to rethink his defensive hierarchy before a competitive ball has even been kicked.
Cristhian Mosquera is the immediate beneficiary. The young centre-back is set for another chance to convince the manager he can step into the void and handle senior responsibility in Saliba’s absence. Every minute now matters for him.
Ben White, by contrast, is edging back. The right-back has not played since a knee injury cut short his season, and he sat out the MK Dons game. Yet he has been back in full training for the past couple of weeks and could finally get his first minutes since that setback. For Arteta, seeing White back in competitive rhythm would be one of the most significant sights of the afternoon.
Jurrien Timber is not quite there. After minor groin surgery over the summer, the Dutchman still needs more time before rejoining the matchday group, and Arsenal will not take risks with a player they view as a key piece of their defensive puzzle.
Attacking options easing back in
Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to link up with the squad before the Girona clash, but neither is likely to feature heavily. Both have only just returned to training and will be eased in rather than thrown straight into the intensity of extended minutes.
Their presence around the group still matters. Pre-season is as much about rhythm and relationships as it is about results, and the return of two core attacking figures nudges Arsenal a little closer to full strength.
Youngsters eye their moment
While the senior names filter back in stages, the door remains wide open for the club’s brightest prospects.
Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri both head into the game with clear hope of minutes and a platform to impress. For players at their stage, a strong cameo in a summer fixture can change the tone of an entire season, shifting them from academy promise to genuine first-team options in Arteta’s mind.
They will not be alone. Girona offers a live, public test of depth and ambition, a sharper gauge than a quiet run-out at a training ground.
Pre-season rarely delivers definitive answers, but it does reveal intent. Today, with a potential debut for Havertz, a reshaped defence, and hungry youngsters pushing at the door, Arsenal begin to show what kind of team they intend to be.
