Arsenal have pulled Matteo Guendouzi out of the u19 European Championships, so he can remain with the club for the upcoming pre-season matches.

The u19 tournament starts next week, and France play their first match against Ukraine on Tuesday. Guendouzi was initially set to take part, but journalist Ph Ouggourni reports on Twitter that Arsenal won’t release him for it. French outlet L’Equipe also confirm the news.

The tournament will take place between the 16th and 29th July. Realistically, that would’ve meant Guendouzi missing this weekend’s match against Boreham Wood, then the tour of Singapore, and possibly the pre-season match against Chelsea as well, depending on when he got back.

When he did get back, he would’ve missed a fortnight of opportunities to get to know his new teammates, and plenty of chances to gel with them on the pitch. Whilst it’s always nice to represent your country, the tournament couldn’t have come at a worse time for Guendouzi as he settles in at Arsenal.

Now the midfielder can show what he’s about on the pitch, meet the fans, and maybe work his way further into Unai Emery’s plans for the coming season. The Europa League and League Cup matches always come around quickly, and Guendouzi will hope to at least nail down a spot in those competitions.

Let’s see how he does, starting with the match at Boreham Wood.