Ben White and Jurrien Timber have travelled for Arsenal’s first public pre-season fixture, alongside three World Cup returnees and eight academy players.
Arsenal have been handed a double boost on the injury front, with both Ben White and Jurrien Timber travelling to Spain as the squad prepares for their first public pre-season outing against Girona.
The pair were spotted boarding the flight on Sunday as Mikel Arteta’s squad set off for a warm-weather camp in Catalonia. Arsenal’s meeting with Girona at Estadi Montilivi on August 1 marks another step as preparations ramp up for their Premier League title defence.
While their inclusion in the travelling party doesn’t guarantee minutes on the pitch, it does mean White and Timber can continue their recoveries alongside the rest of the first-team squad.
White has been out since picking up a knee injury in Arsenal’s win over West Ham on May 10, a setback that not only ended his season but also dashed any hopes of featuring for England at the World Cup.
He made his return to team training before the squad departed and last week offered a positive update on his recovery.
“I’ve just been training every day, really,” White told Arsenal’s media channels. “Knee’s all good. Started training back with the team last week.”
“Getting there slowly, trying hard, rehabbing during the summer, hopefully back soon,” Timber said after returning to Arsenal.
Arteta is unlikely to take risks with either defender so soon after their setbacks, but having both involved with the group is a welcome sign as Arsenal kick off their public pre-season schedule.
Arsenal’s group in Girona is further bolstered by the returns of Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Piero Hincapie after their post-World Cup breaks. They join Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Jesus, Cristhian Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Nørgaard, Max Dowman, Marli Salmon and Reiss Nelson amongst others in Spain.
Eight academy players are also part of the travelling squad.
Khari Ranson, Josh Ogunnaike, Brayden Clarke, Louie Copley, Theo Julienne, Demiane Agustien, Ismeal Kabia and Ceadach O’Neill make up the academy contingent, with ages spanning from 18 to 20.
Their involvement gives Arteta another look at Arsenal’s emerging talent in a senior setting. With World Cup players filtering back in, competition for places will only intensify, but pre-season is still a crucial window for youngsters aiming to edge closer to the first team.
In Girona, the priority will be on building fitness rather than settling on a starting eleven. All eyes will be on the progress of White and Timber, while Gyokeres, Havertz and Hincapie start their own pre-season work a little behind the rest.
With a strong academy presence, Arteta will have plenty of options to rotate and manage workloads as Arsenal get their first public run-out of the summer.