Arteta announces three great news for Arsenal to win the first title of the season

Mikel Arteta confirms that Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Zubimendi are all set to return, delivering a boost for Arsenal before facing Man City.

Arsenal are preparing for the crucial match against Manchester City in the Community Shield, and manager Mikel Arteta has received a series of positive updates on the squad. Most notably, the returns of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Zubimendi after the post-World Cup break.

Rice and Saka just helped England reach the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, while Zubimendi was part of the Spanish national team that won the title. All three were given extra time off to recover from their long international campaigns, but have now returned to training with Arsenal.

Arteta confirmed that the trio could feature in the match against Man City if they meet the fitness requirements.

"They will be ready to play. They trained with us today and will train again tomorrow. If they reach the physical condition we expect, they will be in the match,", Arteta said.

The returns of Saka and Rice are particularly important, as both dealt with physical issues last season. Saka struggled with an Achilles tendon injury, while Rice previously revealed the impact of a hamstring problem during the World Cup.

However, Arteta believes the post-tournament break has given the two players additional recovery time.

"We haven't noticed anything unusual. They have their own training programs and have followed them. What I've seen over the past two or three days has been really good,", the Spanish manager shared.

Alongside Rice and Saka, Zubimendi is also a valuable addition for Arsenal. The Spanish midfielder has returned to training after winning the World Cup with his national team. He is expected to quickly adapt and add quality to the Gunners' midfield.

Arsenal also have good news as Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, and goalkeeper David Raya have all returned from their breaks. Raya even came back earlier than planned and featured in the friendly against Como.

Nevertheless, Arsenal still have significant losses ahead of the clash with Man City. William Saliba will be sidelined long-term due to a back issue, while Jurrien Timber has yet to return from a groin injury that has kept him out since March.

Arteta said Timber is recovering well but still needs more time.

"He is progressing very well. He will start training with the full squad in about a week, and then we'll see how things develop,", the Arsenal manager said.

The timely returns of Rice, Saka, and Zubimendi give Arteta more options ahead of the big match against Man City, as Arsenal aim for an ambitious start to the season.