Bruno Guimaraes has shared a message with the fans after his unofficial debut appearance for Arsenal in Wednesday’s friendly match against Como 1907.
Arsenal summer signing Bruno Guimaraes received an enthusiastic welcome from the Emirates Stadium supporters before Sunday’s friendly against Borussia Dortmund, but those fans had to wait until Wednesday to see the midfielder out on the pitch.
The former Newcastle United captain wasn’t named in the starting lineup against Como 1907 in midweek, but he came on at half-time of the match, and he ended up finishing the game.
The fans enjoyed some tough tackles and a couple of eye-catching forward passes, before watching their new signing convert a penalty in the subsequent shootout. Almost every touch was met with chants of “Bruno! Bruno!”
After the game, Bruno took to Instagram to share a message with his new fanbase.
“Very happy to have played my first minutes in this shirt and at this stadium,” Guimaraes said. “Very excited about everything we have ahead of us. Thank you for the support, and see you Sunday, Gunners!”
The fans will hope the 28-year-old is in good shape to start that match on Sunday, with Arsenal facing Manchester City in the Community Shield. But it’s unlikely Bruno will be able to play the full 90 minutes, having only recently joined in with pre-season training.
On that topic, Mikel Arteta said: “We’ll have to see. He’s only had three training sessions, but he looked good.
“He was really pushing to play some minutes today, get his debut and get the feeling of playing in front of our supporters immediately. He’s a player that will make us better, without a doubt.”
There are other Arsenal players even further behind in their preparations for the new season, with William Saliba and Jurrien Timber still out injured, and Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi yet to play any minutes in pre-season.
If any of the five are involved in the Community Shield game, it will surely only be for a brief cameo. But perhaps Bruno has a better chance.
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