Emile Smith Rowe has been training in Dubai this week as the Arsenal starlet looks to get into the best possible shape for the Under-21 European Championships.
Smith Rowe endured a difficult 2022/23 campaign, donning the Gunners shirt for less than 200 minutes across all competitions as he battled with fitness issues. The Hale End academy graduate was sidelined for more than three months during the opening stages of the season after undergoing surgery on a long-term groin problem.
Just as he returned to full fitness, he then picked up a thigh strain at the turn of the year before struggling to find a way into Mikel Arteta's starting line-up when he came back.
But as per The Evening Standard, the 22-year-old has spent a week in Dubai working alongside coach Sean O’Shea to improve his conditioning ahead of the U21 Euros in Georgia and Romania.
In recent times, Smith Rowe has been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium but according to the Athletic, he remains an important part of Mikel Arteta's long-term plans in north London. The talented playmaker is also finally pain-free as football.london's Arsenal chief correspondent Kaya Kaynak reported what work the versatile midfielder has been doing behind the scenes.
"We've done some stuff on the Smith Rowe situation in terms of him being left out. He's come back since the injury, he's pain free, he's there, he's doing well in training," Kaynak told The View From The Clock End podcast last month.
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"All the reports from training are positive, he's lost weight, his physique is much leaner than it ever has been before. He's setting personal records when it comes to pace, physicality all of those things, he's not had any conversations with Arteta, there's not been any specific, 'you need to do this to be in the team'."
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