Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has delivered a welcome fitness update ahead of Sunday's Community Shield meeting with Manchester City in Cardiff, confirming that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are both available for selection after returning from their post-tournament breaks.
Rice and Saka, who were part of England's run to the World Cup semi-finals, have resumed training with the Arsenal squad and are in contention to feature in the traditional curtain-raiser to the new Premier League season. Midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who lifted the trophy with a victorious Spain side last month, has also returned to the group and is available for Sunday's fixture.
"They will be available," Arteta confirmed at his pre-match press conference on Friday. "They trained with us today, they will train tomorrow. If they are in the condition we expect them to be, they will be involved."
Saka's return to Arsenal duty came earlier than planned. Initially expected back on Monday, the winger arrived at the club's training base on Saturday alongside Spain goalkeeper David Raya. Saka had struggled with an Achilles problem for much of the closing stages of last season, while Rice disclosed during the tournament that he had been managing neural pain in his hamstring since Christmas, in addition to a calf issue and a bout of illness.
Despite those fitness concerns, Arteta struck an optimistic tone regarding both players heading into the new campaign, crediting the rest period and individually tailored programmes for their recovery.
"We haven't noticed anything," the Arsenal boss said. "They have individual plans. Through the time they had with the national team they've been trying to evolve those issues and they have improved. In the rest period that they had, they both had specific programmes for themselves. They've been doing those and so far what I saw the last two or three days, it was really good."
While Rice, Saka and Zubimendi are back in contention, Arteta confirmed that right-back Jurrien Timber remains sidelined. The Dutch international, who has been troubled by a persistent groin injury since March, missed the World Cup entirely after only a brief cameo in the Champions League final in May.
Earlier in the week, Arteta had suggested Timber was still "weeks away" from full match fitness, and that assessment appears largely unchanged despite some encouraging signs in his rehabilitation.
"[He is] progressing really well," Arteta said when pressed on Timber's recovery ahead of the clash with a City side now under the guidance of former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. "He's on the pitch, we're ramping up now certain actions, especially the volume and the load. I think he's on a good trajectory but still a few weeks to go. With Willy [Saliba], it is a more long-term injury."
Asked directly whether Timber might be fit to return before next month's international break, Arteta remained cautious. "I don't know. We have to wait and see," he said. "He needs to start to train with the group in the next week or so hopefully and then see how he progresses from there. But obviously it's been a long-term issue and we want to make sure that every step that we take is the right one. He's such an important player for us."
Arsenal, the FA Cup holders, will face Premier League champions Manchester City in Sunday's season-opening showpiece in Cardiff, with Arteta's squad boosted by the return of several key figures despite the continued absence of Timber and Saliba.
Based on reporting from standard-football.