Mikel Merino Spain
Mikel Merino Spain
International weeks are judged on who comes back fit. The goals still get written down first.
A midfielder who settles a six-goal friendly and a substitute who sets up the fourth are the useful kind of minutes. Ninety minutes for a centre-back in the same game is the other kind.
Group tables move on the same night. One side has six points. The other is joint second.
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Bruno Guimaraes scored his fourth international goal as Brazil beat Australia 4-2 in Brisbane. With the game at 2-2 he fired in on 69 minutes. Vinícius Júnior sealed it with a late penalty. Gabriel Magalhães played the full 90, the only Brazilian outfield player to do so. He had been unused in the 1-1 draw a week earlier.
Bruno Guimaraes scored the winner for Brazil against Australia this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/NkvW72Bjpd
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) September 29, 2026
Brazil go to Kolkata to face India on Saturday, a first meeting between the sides. Arsenal are in contact with the national-team staff after both players were put on individual plans following the Australia game, with the aim of having them ready when they report back next week.
In Seville, Spain beat Croatia 4-1 in the Nations League. Martin Zubimendi started and played 72 minutes after being unused in the first group game. Mikel Merino came on at 57 minutes and assisted Nico Williams in the 89th. Lamine Yamal scored twice and Marc Pubill made it 3-1 before that assist. Spain have two wins from two.
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England beat Czechia 2-0. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Bukayo Saka started. Pavel Sulc was sent off for a high challenge on Elliot Anderson. Lewis-Skelly went off at half-time for Eberechi Eze. Anthony Gordon scored on 47 minutes and Harry Kane on 69. Ezri Konsa was not in the squad after missing training with a minor issue earlier in the camp.
Spain lead League A Group 3 with six points. England and Croatia have three. Czechia have none. England go to Croatia on Saturday. Spain host Czechia in Oviedo the same day.
The club’s wider list is already busy. Kai Havertz is home with a suspected hamstring. Martin Ødegaard is a doubt for Norway’s game in Cardiff tonight after an ankle scan showed no major damage. William Saliba is targeting November. Jurrien Timber is with the Netherlands.
Guimarães’s goal and Merino’s assist are the clean notes from Wednesday. Gabriel’s 90 minutes are the ones Arsenal will watch closest before Leeds on 10 October. Individual plans this week are how the club tries to turn a full international into a player who can train on Monday.
Arsenal huddle
Arsenal huddle