Arsenal Squad Update: Saka, Rice, and Zubimendi Set for Manchester City Clash

Arsenal have been handed exactly the lift they wanted before Sunday’s showdown with Manchester City, with Mikel Arteta confirming that Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are back in the frame to play.

The manager cut a confident figure in his pre-match press conference as he ran through the state of his squad – and the headline news was clear: his two talismen, along with new signing Martin Zubimendi, are ready to be involved.

“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 they remain to his plans.

Saka, Rice and Zubimendi ready to go

After a demanding summer, Arteta sounded genuinely impressed by the way his players have returned to work. The core of his squad has come back early, sharp and hungry.

“Most of them [came back] earlier than expected, really fit with all the testing and they all seem in great condition,” he said, pointing to a group that looks ready to hit the ground running rather than ease into the campaign.

With Saka and Rice available and Zubimendi already integrated, Arsenal’s attacking and midfield options look strong heading into the curtain-raiser against Enzo Maresca’s City.

Defensive headaches: Timber close, Saliba sidelined

Arteta confirmed that Jurrien Timber and William Saliba will both miss Sunday’s clash as they continue their rehabilitation. One absence feels temporary. The other sounds far more worrying.

On Saliba, Arteta did not sugar-coat it, describing the defender’s situation as a “long-term injury.” There was no timeline, no hint of a quick fix – just the clear reality that Arsenal will be without one of their defensive leaders for a significant spell.

Timber’s outlook is brighter. The Dutchman is edging closer, but not quite ready to be thrown back into the intensity of a competitive start.

“Jurrien is progressing really well,” Arteta explained. “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.”

Timber’s importance to Arteta’s tactical structure is obvious. His ability to slide between full-back and central roles gives Arsenal a flexibility few sides can match, and the manager knows exactly what he is getting back – which is why the club refuses to rush him.

Caution with Timber, clarity in the plan

The next phase of Timber’s recovery is already mapped out. Arteta expects the defender to rejoin full group training soon, with the next seven to ten days described as crucial as he starts to work fully with his teammates on the grass.

“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,” Arteta said. “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.”

That line says plenty. Arsenal know Timber changes the way they build attacks and defend transitions. They also know another setback would be costly. So the club will take the hit now to avoid a bigger one later.

Transfers still on the agenda

While injuries dominate the immediate conversation, the wider picture at Arsenal remains tied to the transfer market. With the deadline looming and links to several high-profile defenders swirling, Arteta kept his cards close to his chest on specific targets but was crystal clear about the club’s intent.

“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.”

The message is blunt: Saka and Rice are back, Timber is on the way, Saliba is out for the long haul – and Arsenal are still looking for ways to get stronger.

With Manchester City first up and a long season stretching out in front of them, the question now is simple: how quickly can this evolving squad turn ambition into something tangible on the pitch?