Arsenal have confirmed they will be joining fellow Premier League side Liverpool in the upcoming Dubai Super Cup in December as part of their preparations for a return to club action. It comes as domestic football makes way for international competition, with the World Cup being hosted in Qatar over the winter.
With the tournament taking place in the middle of the season compared to over the summer, there will be fresh challenges in terms of keeping players fit. It could cause plenty of concerns when it comes to the Gunners, who made a fantastic start to the season and sit top of the league.
"When a team is in that moment you want to carry on playing of course, but that’s not possible," Mikel Arteta said on the break. "We have to use that time as best as possible. For those not participating in the World Cup they will have some time off which they fully deserve and the rest can just fulfil a dream that every kid has to have the chance to represent their team in a national cup. It doesn’t get better than that."
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo's huge Arsenal comment proves Mikel Arteta vision right amid Man Utd outburst
Ten Arsenal stars are set to take to the stage in Qatar, but for those remaining, it appears as though a period of rest will then be followed by a mini pre-season type camp. That will take place in Dubai, where the Gunners will play in the Dubai Super Cup, also featuring Liverpool, AC Milan and Lyon.
The North London side will only face off against the latter two though, avoiding another clash with their Premier League rivals along the way. It will take place from December 8 to 16 and includes some unique rules, such as three points for a win but two for a draw as well as a penalty shootout that hands out an extra point to the winner - no matter the result at the end of the match.
“We’ve got a pre-season; not a full pre-season but a really good three weeks of preparation,” Arteta told the club website. “We’re going to have to get the team ready in different phases because we’re going to have certain players at the start, some players in the middle and certain players at the end of it, in relation to what happens at the World Cup.
“It’s not really different to any summer when there is a European competition or a World Cup. You start pre-season and in the first three weeks there are six, seven sometimes 10 players that are not participating because they have played competitions with their national teams, and here is going to be the same. The thing is after the World Cup to the first competitive match, that turnaround is really, really short.
“Every player and every schedule is different. We’ll have to assess who it is, how many games he’s played, how many days off they’ve had in the last few months and treat it like this, but certainly, there is a plan in place for every player.”
READ NEXT:
Cristiano Ronaldo's huge Arsenal comment proves Mikel Arteta vision right amid Man Utd outburst
Patino assist, striker suffers 'major tear' as Pepe gets penalty reprieve - Arsenal loan latest
Why Albert Sambi Lokonga was left out of Arsenal squad vs Wolves amid January transfer proposal
Full list of Arsenal players going to Qatar 2022 World Cup including Thomas Partey decision
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
