Arsenal are travelling to Dubai with a strong contingent of youth players expected to join the squad and Emile Smith Rowe involved, but Ben White out.

England's defender Ben White takes part in a training session at the Al Wakrah SC Stadium in Al Wakrah, south of Doha, on November 20, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament Group B match between England and Iran. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
England’s defender Ben White takes part in a training session at the Al Wakrah SC Stadium in Al Wakrah, south of Doha, on November 20, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament Group B match between England and Iran. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal are travelling to Dubai on Sunday for a warm-weather training camp and a couple of friendly matches, and Simon Collings reports that they’ll be joined by Emile Smith Rowe, as the midfielder continues to close in on a return from injury.

In addition to Smith Rowe, Collings reports that 10 or more academy players are set to join the trip.

With so many first-team stars either still on international duty or only recently back in training, Mikel Arteta will pad out his squad with u21 players, who have continued to play academy matches over the break.

TalkSPORT report that Ben White won’t be joining the Arsenal squad in Dubai, after leaving England’s World Cup camp for personal reasons.

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As for the u21 players who might be involved in Dubai, we got a hint as Arsenal took on Watford in a friendly match at London Colney on Saturday.

Hubert Graczyk, Reuell Walters, Taylor Foran, Zane Monlouis, Lino Sousa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Matt Smith, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Charles Sagoe Jr, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Zach Awe, Catalin Cirjan, and Joel Ideho were all in the squad for that friendly.

Arsenal might not take the entire group to Dubai, but you’d expect those who travel to be from the above list, with the exception of James Hillson, who wasn’t involved in the friendly but is travelling as Arsenal’s third-choice goalkeeper.

In terms of confirmed academy travellers, so far we know that Lewis-Skelly and Smith (midfielders), Hillson and Graczyk (goalkeepers), Foran (centre-back), and Sousa (left-back) will all be involved.

Ethan Nwaneri plays for Arsenal in their friendly against Watford (Photo via Arsenal.com)
Ethan Nwaneri plays for Arsenal in their friendly against Watford (Photo via Arsenal.com)

Arsenal World Cup schedule (times in GMT)

  • November 13th-November 27th – Time off
  • November 28th – Return to training
  • December 3rd – Arsenal 2-4 Watford (London Colney)
  • December 4th – Travel to Dubai for a warm-weather camp
  • December 8th, 15:30 – Arsenal vs Lyon (Al Maktoum Stadium)
  • December 13th, 14:00 – Arsenal vs Milan (Al Maktoum Stadium)
  • December 14th – Travel back to London
  • December 17th, 18:00 – Arsenal vs Juventus (Emirates Stadium)
  • W/C December 19th – Rumoured 5th friendly (London Colney)
  • December 26th – The Premier League returns
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