3 key faces return to Arsenal training as start of new season nears

Arsenal fans were thrilled to see the returns of three familiar faces to training on Tuesday after they all missed much of the club’s US tour. 

The Gunners enjoyed an incredibly productive week over in the States, winning all three of their encounters comfortably. After easing beyond Everton and Orlando City, Mikel Arteta’s side thumped London rivals Chelsea 4-0 in the Florida Cup to conclude the tour.

Everybody is in high spirits, and such good feeling was only bolstered by the returns of three big names to training.

3 key Arsenal players return to training as start of season nears

Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney were all snapped in training on Tuesday, marking their respective returns from injury.

All three players failed to take the field over in the US as a result – which certainly isn’t ideal ahead of the start of Arsenal’s Premier League season next Friday away at Crystal Palace.

It’s unclear as to how active all three players were in Tuesday’s session, but their presence is certainly a positive sign and they may get some minutes in Saturday’s Emirates Cup clash against Sevilla.

The addition of Oleksandr Zinchenko and return of William Saliba means Arsenal will be less reliant on Tomiyasu and Tierney this season. Zinchenko is an excellent signing who fits Mikel Arteta’s system like a glove, while Saliba’s return means that Ben White could be used at right-back instead of Cedric.

White impressed in the unfamiliar role against Chelsea last Saturday and he could start against Palace if Tomiyasu isn’t deemed fit, which appears likely considering his lack of minutes this summer. Zinchenko, too, is poised to start over Tierney at Selhurst Park.

Smith Rowe is also back in action after recovering from a minor thigh issue. The England international started against FC Nurnberg earlier this month but didn’t make a single appearance on the tour.

However, he appears to be further along in his recovery than the full-backs and he’s poised to make Arteta’s matchday squad for Saturday. Fabio Vieira, meanwhile, remains sidelined amid a frustrating start to his Arsenal career.