Manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal defenders Urien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have been left out of the Gunners’ pre-season match against Bayer Leverkusen as a precautionary measure.
Netherlands international Timber has been sidelined for most of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury, while Calafiori’s move from Bologna could rise to £42m on July 29.
“Jurrien has had some discomfort in his foot over the past few days,” Arteta said after the 4-1 win over the German champions at the Emirates Stadium. “After he was out for so long, we didn’t want to take a chance on him.
“As for Ricardo, a lot has happened to him in a week. He has come into a new environment with a different methodology and different training, so we are managing him, and we want to manage him slowly and in the best way possible.”
Stylish pre-season performance 💫 pic.twitter.com/UCHtB47jq1
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 7, 2024
Calafiori Arsenal debut
Arteta said he hoped Calafiori could “play a few minutes” when Arsenal play their final game before the Premier League season begins against Lyon on Sunday (2pm BST) and at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 17 (3pm).
Gabriel Jesus’ performance against Leverkusen, which included a long-range goal to put his side 3-0 up after 38 minutes, impressed Arteta.
“My first impression after speaking to him at the end of the season was that there was something different about him,” Arteta said of the striker, who has not scored in a competitive match since January.
“I could feel it. His energy was different, his look was different, his movement was different. He really wanted it. Now it’s about finding that consistency and doing it in any situation, any opponent, any formation, any day, every three days, for 90 minutes, 30 minutes, 70 minutes. If you can perform in those situations? It looks good.”
Back home. ❤️ @arsenal pic.twitter.com/NyCApRUHH9
— Leandro Trossard (@LTrossard) August 7, 2024
Arsenal goal vs Leverkusen
Oleksandr Zinchenko put Arsenal ahead after just eight minutes against Bayer Leverkusen, but the Gunners doubled their lead a minute later through Leandro Trossard.
After Jesus scored, Kai Havertz scored his second in two friendlies to put the title-seeking side 4-0 ahead after 65 minutes.
Arteta did not address the possibility of back-up striker Eddie Nketiah, who barely featured in the second half of last season and was not a substitute in nine of Arsenal’s last 12 games, leaving the club.
“We can’t talk about that,” Arteta said. “He played a few minutes today, he’s a player who gives a lot. We really like him and there’s nothing to discuss at the moment.”
