Girona vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Arsenal start their pre-season journey against the Spanish side Girona on Saturday away from home.

The Premier League champions prepare for the new season as they play their first of the four pre-season matches that they are scheduled to play before the PL starts.

Girona vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news

Girona team news

Girona approach this high-profile friendly with a more settled core but are still managing the integration of new summer arrivals and players returning from international duty.

Manager Quique Alvarez is expected to hand a starting role to former Tottenham winger Bryan Gil, who provides an immediate attacking threat on the flank.

High-profile midfield addition Donny van de Beek is fully available and with the travelling squad, though he will likely begin the match on the substitute bench as the coaching staff carefully manages his return to peak match fitness.

In a major boost, Moroccan international Azzedine Ounahi has returned from his post-World Cup break and is in contention to feature.

The Spanish side looks to use this fixture to test their tactical shape and build chemistry against elite Premier League opposition before their domestic campaign begins. 

Arsenal team news

Arsenal enter their pre-season opener significantly depleted as multiple first-team stars remain on extended post-World Cup holidays.

High-profile figures like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, David Raya, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke have yet to rejoin training, forcing a reliance on alternative squad depth.

Compounding these absences are major injury setbacks. Central defender William Saliba faces a months-long layoff due to a severe back injury sustained during the tournament, while Jurriën Timber remained in London to rehab following minor summer surgery.

Additionally, midfielder Christian Norgaard is ruled out after picking up a knock in training. Despite the heavy absences, manager Mikel Arteta can still call upon key figures including Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhães, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyökeres.

New summer signing Christos Tzolis is poised for his non-competitive debut, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is expected to start. 

Form

Girona

Girona struggled at the end of their domestic campaign, finishing near the bottom of La Liga after an eight-match winless streak. However, they have already been highly active in building summer match fitness. Their recent friendly fixtures yielded highly mixed results, featuring a commanding 3-1 victory over UE Olot, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Deportivo Alavés, and a chaotic, high-scoring 3-3 draw against Castellón. 

Arsenal

Arsenal concluded their previous competitive campaign with a dramatic UEFA Champions League final, pushing Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw over extra time before ultimately falling short in a tense 4-3 penalty shootout. Before that, Mikel Arteta’s side showcased excellent continental pedigree, defeating Atlético Madrid 1-0 and drawing with Sporting CP. This highly anticipated friendly clash against Girona marks the Gunners’ first official fixture of the new pre-season schedule. 

Predicted lineups

Girona: Krapyvytsov; A. Martinez, Lopez, Yaakobishvili, Moreno; Beltran, Martin; Camara, Misehouy, Gil; Vanat

Arsenal: Kepa; Mosquera, Salmon, Calafiori, Hincapie; Lewis-Skelly, Copley; Dowman, Nwaneri, Tzolis; Jesus

How to watch Girona vs Arsenal?

The match will be streamed exclusively live on Arsenal.com and The Arsenal app. 

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