Arsenal triumphed over Lyon in the first match of the Dubai Super Cup, and they did so without one of their first team fullbacks, Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian international missed out on the club friendly due to muscle tightness, and he is touch and go for tomorrow’s DSC finale against AC Milan.
Elsewhere Emile Smith Rowe, although named to the travel squad, is still recovering from surgery to repair a groin injury. It looks like his timetable is after the Boxing Day fixture, sometime early in the New Year.
Dubai Super Cup: Arsenal vs AC Milan FYIs
Kickoff: 2pm GMT Tuesday December 13, Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, UAE
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction: go here
TV: None Stream: Arsenal club app ($$)
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
World Cup Segments: WGN Radio NTD News Insert Name FC
After Extra Time Podcast: Apple Spotify
Arsenal Team News
In addition to the two new aforementioned fitness concerns, you also have Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian center forward, recovering from a knee surgery that was performed just last week (more on that here).
He will be out for at least three months.
There is good news though! Some of the Gunners star players who featured at the World Cup for their countries in Qatar are now back with the team, including Thomas Partey, Matt Turner and Ben White.
Regarding the last name there, some reports indicate that he had a clash with an England assistant coach, and that was the real reason why he left Three Lions camp long before his national team was eliminated.
The party line is “personal reasons“, and you can read more about that over at this link.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.