Injured Arsenal defensive trio Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Riccardo Calafiori, are all fit again as pre-season gets underway, according to Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
When Arsenal travelled to Southampton for the final game of the 2024/25 campaign, the team were missing a full back four of defenders in Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber, as well as Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Tomiyasu has since left the club, and Timber is still working on his comeback after ankle surgery, but it seems the other three should be available for Arsenal’s first public pre-season fixture against AC Milan on Wednesday.
The Gunners have already played one pre-season game behind closed doors against Watford, and Mikel Arteta confirms Gabriel featured for part of that fixture with Saliba doing well too.
“He (Gabriel) played 45 minutes on Saturday against Watford,” Arteta said. “He looks in good shape, William Saliba as well.
“We have missed a lot of players at the end of the season, but they all look to be in the right direction and to be fit and contributing, too.”
As for Calafiori, Arteta suggested the key for the Italy international is staying fit now.
“It’s a big season for him,” the Arsenal manager said. “We know that one of the biggest things we have to achieve this season is availability.
“We want a player that is consistently available and performing at the level he can do. He brings an energy and unpredictability to the team that we’re really going to need. It was certainly missed for a big part of last season.”
Arsenal reportedly won their first pre-season game against Watford, with Football.London reporting that the Gunners triumphed 2-0 thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Ben White – adding that White is continuing to play in place of the injured Timber.
Arsenal pre-season schedule
- Saturday, July 19th – Arsenal 2-0 Watford
- Wednesday, July 23rd, 12:30 – Arsenal vs AC Milan
- Sunday, July 27th, 12:30 – Arsenal vs Newcastle United
- Thursday, July 31st, 12:30 – Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
- Wednesday, August 6th, 18:00 – Arsenal vs Villarreal CF
- Saturday, August 9th, 17:00 – Arsenal vs Athletic Club
Times in BST