Arsenal FPL team guide 2026/27

Developing the earlier 'travelled to Girona but short' line, Arteta said on the record: 'He's on the pitch and doing quite a lot right now but is still weeks away - I cannot tell you how much.' Timber and Saliba are both confirmed out of the 16 Aug Community Shield and the 21 Aug league opener v Coventry City. Timber was again absent from the Como squad on 12 Aug.

FPL: Timber should not be in GW1 squads at all despite carrying no FPL flag yet; his minutes go to White, Mosquera and Hincapié. Saliba remains a months-long absentee.

All three were left out of the Como squad entirely on 12 Aug, having only rejoined training on 8-10 August after England's and Spain's World Cup runs. Unlike Raya, Eze, Merino and Madueke, none of the trio was given any minutes in the last match before the season.

FPL: None of the three has played a pre-season minute, so a bench role or reduced minutes in the Community Shield and possibly GW1 is live. Keep existing doubts on Saka and Rice rather than clearing them.

In their final pre-season friendly at the Emirates on 12 Aug, Arteta started a youth-heavy XI (Kepa; Salmon, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Hincapié; Julienne, Nwaneri, Eze; Dowman, G.Jesus, Martinelli) and emptied the bench at half-time. Ødegaard came on at 46' for Dowman and played 45 minutes; Raya played the second half and saved two penalties in the shootout; Eze started; Merino and Madueke made their first pre-season appearances. Bruno Guimarães debuted at half-time after only three training sessions.

FPL: Raya and Ødegaard are through their build-up and should be fit to start the Community Shield and the 21 Aug opener. Eze starting a full first half puts him ahead of the pack for a front-line role.

The 19-year-old confirmed in a personal statement that he ruptured his ACL after coming on at right-back in the 3-1 pre-season defeat to Real Betis in Dublin, vindicating Arteta's post-match fears. He faces surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation, and is still listed among Arsenal's absentees for the Dortmund friendly.

FPL: Closes out an open injury thread rather than changing any projection — Copley was a fringe academy option and is not an FPL asset, but it thins Arsenal's midfield depth for cup rotation.

Arsenal confirmed the signing on Saturday 8 August: a reported £75m (rising) deal, four-year contract with a one-year option, squad number 39, with Andrea Berta citing his 'mentality, quality and leadership'. He joins up with the squad immediately but is short of fitness after the World Cup and is not expected to play against Dortmund, where he will instead be paraded before kick-off.

FPL: A £75m 28-year-old central midfielder arriving as a win-now starter squeezes minutes for Merino, Nwaneri and the Ødegaard/Eze rotation. He is unlikely to be fully match-fit for the opening fixtures, so treat him as a wait-and-see rather than an early buy.

Ahead of the 2pm BST Emirates Cup game with Borussia Dortmund on 9 Aug, Martin Odegaard is reported back in training and could feature for the first time this summer, with Gabriel and Martinelli set for a bigger role than their Betis cameos. Saka, Rice, Eze, Raya, Zubimendi, Merino and Madueke are all still on extended post-World Cup breaks and unavailable; Saliba and Timber are listed injured, and Kepa or Meslier will start in goal. The XI was not confirmed at time of writing.

FPL: Confirms the WC contingent (Saka, Rice, Raya, Zubimendi, Merino, Eze, Madueke) will have almost no pre-season, so early-season minutes are a real risk; Odegaard is furthest along of the damped group.

Officially announced by both clubs, ending the 32-year-old Denmark international's single season at Arsenal after just seven league starts in the title-winning campaign. Reported fee around €8m; he signed a two-year contract and is Everton's fourth summer signing.

FPL: Negligible direct impact — Nørgaard was deep cover behind Rice and Zubimendi. He should be removed from Arsenal squad consideration entirely.