Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli are set to return to Arsenal training this week, joining the squad in Spain ahead of their first official pre-season match against Girona on Saturday, August 1.
Pre-season preparations intensify
Arsenal beat MK Dons 3-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Saturday, with goals from Reiss Nelson, Ethan Nwaneri and Ceadach O'Neil. New signing Christos Tzolis registered an assist on debut. The squad then flew to Spain on Sunday to continue preparations.
The travelling group was strengthened by the returns of Kai Havertz, Piero Hincapie and Viktor Gyokeres, who had been given three weeks off after their World Cup exits. Havertz trained at his former club Bayer Leverkusen's facilities last week to build fitness.
World Cup duo to join later
Gabriel and Martinelli, who played for Brazil at the World Cup and were knocked out in the last 16 by Norway on July 5, were not with the weekend travel party. The club decided they did not need to return early, so they will join up later this week before the Girona match. Their fitness will be assessed, but they are unlikely to play a significant role at Estadi Montilivi.
Cautious approach with injuries
Ben White and Jurrien Timber were on the flight to Spain, but Arsenal will manage their fitness carefully. White, who missed the end of the 2025/26 season with a knee injury, trained in Marbella and at London Colney but did not feature against MK Dons. Teenager Louie Copley started at right-back instead. Timber underwent minor groin surgery over the summer and is still rehabilitating, though he may play some part in pre-season.
Players who reached the final weekend of the World Cup, such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze, are not due back until August 10, as they receive a mandatory three-week break.
