Arsenal fans in the Middle East are set for the rare opportunity to see their heroes in the flesh this month when a glamour friendly against Al Nasr, for the formal reopening of Al Maktoum Stadium, headlines a five-day training camp in Dubai.
Tickets for March 26’s (18:00 UAE kick-off) game are priced at Dh100 (category 3) and Dh150 (category 2). They go on sale from 18:00 (UAE time) on Wednesday through Platinum List and onsite at the 15,058-capacity venue.
But with the clash falling in the international break, which Gunners stars will feature? We’ve made an educated guess about who’ll make the flight to the UAE – and who’ll be otherwise engaged:
CERTAINTIES
International retirement for Mesut Ozil after Germany’s horrific World Cup should provide a boon for the UAE’s Arsenal supporters.
Countryman Shkodran Mustafi is out of favour with Die Mannschaft. Fellow defender Laurent Koscielny has made himself unavailable for from France duty, which is a similar story for Petr Cech with Czech Republic.
Barcelona loanee Denis Suarez will welcome more time to get acclimatised.
Youngsters should provide the spine of Emery’s travelling squad. Striker Eddie Nketiah came on at the weekend in the 2-0 win against Manchester United and is joint-second-top scorer in Premier League 2 Division 1.
Joe Willock, Charlie Gilmour, Zech Medley, Tyreece John-Jules and Bukayo Saka are among those from the reserves to get tastes of action in the Europa League this term.
MAYBES
Alexandre Lacazette could, yet, be the main draw for Arsenal in Dubai.
He was not selected by France for their run to glory at World Cup 2018. Injury ruled him out of November’s squad, yet this call-up only came because of Anthony Martial’s knock. It is probably far too soon for Matteo Guendouzi to be selected by Les Bleus.
Nacho Monreal made the summer tournament, but has been ignored by new Spain head coach Luis Enrique.
Bernd Leno is probably now third-choice goalkeeper for Germany, though this status isn’t certain. Veteran Stephan Lichtsteiner remains available for Switzerland.
DEFINITELY NOT
Arsenal’s status as one of the world’s elite outfits guarantees that their international contingency is sizeable.
March’s commencement of Euro 2020 qualifying, proper, should rob the Gunners of; Greece’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Armenia’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Wales’ Aaron Ramsey, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sead Kolasinac and Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka.
It should also be the same story for Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Egypt’s Mohamed Elneny and Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi because of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The China Cup should mean Uruguay’s Lucas Torreira is otherwise engaged, too.
Serious injury, meanwhile, rules out Danny Welbeck, Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin.
POSSIBLE XI V AL NASR
Cech; Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Guendouzi, Gilmour; Suarez, Ozil, Willock; Lacazette
