Arsenal receive triple boost for Community Shield as Mikel Arteta gives new Jurrien Timber timeline

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has affirmed that Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi will all be good to go for Sunday's Community Shield showdown against Manchester City in Cardiff.

The trio are the last to return from their post-World Cup breaks and did not play a single minute for the Gunners in pre-season, unlike Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino.

The latter three took part in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Como, although Rice, Saka and Zubimendi had returned to training at Arsenal's London Colney base prior to the game.

Arteta addressed the media in his pre-game press conference on Friday, and the Spaniard gave a positive response when asked about his English and Spanish contingent.

"They will be available," Arteta replied. "They trained with us today, they will train tomorrow, and if they are in the condition that we expect them to be, they will be involved."

Will Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Zubimendi start Community Shield?

An elite athlete's skill and fitness level does not totally abandon them during a well-earned holiday, and all of Rice, Zubimendi and Saka would have been put through their paces in recent days.

However, Arteta made sure to re-integrate players slowly over the summer, often giving players no more than 33 minutes during their first run-outs of the pre-season period.

With a trophy - albeit a minor trophy - on the line this weekend, there is little room for experimentation, or making the multitude of in-game changes that pre-season friendlies warrant and necessitate.

Therefore, Rice, Zubimendi and Saka should all begin on the bench at the Millennium Stadium, thanks to the presences of Bruno Guimaraes, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Noni Madueke and Max Dowman.

Mikel Arteta gives new Jurrien Timber injury timeline

With Rice, Saka and Zubimendi in the fold, Arsenal's only guaranteed absentees for the Community Shield are Jurrien Timber and William Saliba, who are nursing groin and back injuries respectively.

Saliba will be on the treatment table for months, while Timber is expected to be out for a few more weeks, although Arteta did offer a slightly more positive outlook on the Dutchman on Friday.

Asked if Timber will return before the September international break, Arteta expressed hope that the defender would be back in team training in the coming days, saying: "I don’t know, we have to wait and see; he needs to start to train with the group in the next week or so, hopefully, and then see how he progresses from there.

"It’s been a long-term issue right now, and we want to make sure that every step that we take is the right one, he feels right to do that and he’s such an important player for us."

Arsenal are going for their 18th Community Shield win against Man City, whom they overcame on penalties to win their most recent honour in 2023.