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LONDON, ENGLAND – August 15, 2023 – Arsenal faces villarreal in a pre-season friendly at the Emirates Stadium today, with both teams carefully managing player fitness ahead of the upcoming league campaigns. Concerns linger over the availability of several key players for the Gunners.
Arsenal Injury Updates
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Beyond previously reported issues with jesus, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is monitoring the conditions of Riccardo Calafuri, who is experiencing knee swelling, and Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard. Both Saka and Trossard experienced minor problems during pre-season matches, specifically the 5-3 loss to FC Barcelona on July 26th at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Arteta is expected to rotate the squad to mitigate further injury risk and provide playing time to all available players. The Emirates Stadium has a capacity of 60,704 and is expected to be near capacity for the match.
Villarreal Team News
Villarreal, known as The Yellow Submarine, also has several players returning from fitness concerns. Juan foyth and Aïssa Mandi were previously doubtful, but are anticipated to feature in the match to regain match fitness. Villarreal finished fifth in La Liga last season, securing a spot in the UEFA europa League.
Villarreal coach Quique Setién intends to use the Arsenal match to assess squad depth and evaluate players recovering from injury. Opportunities may also be given to younger players to gain experience against a Premier League opponent.
Recent Form
Head-to-Head Record
League Standings (2022-2023 Season)
Arsenal: Finished 2nd in the Premier League with 84 points.
Villarreal: Finished 5th in La Liga with 60 points.
Looking Ahead
Arsenal begins its Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest on August 12th.
