Arsenal are looking at flying to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp in December as they finalise plans for their players not featuring at the World Cup this winter.
Mikel Arteta’s side have made a brilliant start to the season and sit top of the Premier League after nine games.
Arsenal want to build on their strong start and are finalising plans for the mid-season break during the World Cup, which is taking place in Qatar in November and December.
The club has been looking at possible destinations for a warm-weather training camp and Dubai has emerged as the preferred option.
Arsenal went there last season and also during Arteta’s first year in charge. The plan would be for the Gunners to head to Dubai in early December and stay there until around the middle of the month.
Other Premier League clubs are also set to be in Dubai then and Arsenal are in talks over playing a friendly against another top-flight team to keep players match fit.
Arsenal would then return to England for training and they are also looking at playing another friendly before the return of domestic football in the week commencing December 19.
The World Cup taking place in the middle of the season presents a headache for medical staff at all Premier League clubs, not just those at Arsenal.
Players will be returning from the tournament at different stages, depending on when their country is eliminated, and as such they will be on various training schedules upon their returns.
Arteta said earlier this season: “It’s a completely unprecedented season, not only because we are going to be playing a lot of weeks with two or three games, but especially because we have the World Cup coming up.
“We don’t know how that’s going to affect us, so we have to look at the overall picture. You have to go game by game. Performances and how players are physically and mentally will dictate how much we use them, but the schedule is hectic and we need to think carefully.”
