Mikel Arteta looks to avoid the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening when Arsenal travel to League Two side Fleetwood Town (8pm).
Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Zubimendi will be hoping for a clean bill of health after Saturday’s routine win over Everton after suffering minor fitness issues.
Here are a few items ahead of tomorrow night’s game and tonight’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.
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Arsenal have announced their Fleetwood travel plan
Arsenal will fly to the North West from Luton to Blackpool on Tuesday for their Carabao Cup clash with Fleetwood Town.
This is mainly because a club delegation is set to attend the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theater tonight and the Gunners are keen to minimize the impact of the castle on preparations for tomorrow’s fourth round.
Arsenal have been away on Carabao Cup match days before in previous seasons. The squad, for example, traveled by train to Preston in October 2024 before beating North End 3-0 at Deepdale. Training and tactical details are not affected; rather a slight change in logistics.
They are set to arrive in Blackpool in the afternoon and are likely to have their usual team outing before having a final pre-match meeting at their hotel.
A number of players from both the men’s and women’s teams were nominated for the awards. Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are all in the 30-man list for the Ballon d’Or after guiding Mikel Arteta’s side to the Premier League title and Champions League final last season.
No Arsenal player has won the top prize. Iconic striker Thierry Henry then finished twice, in 2003 and 2006, before leaving for Barcelona.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper David Raya has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy, and Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey have been nominated for the Golden Ball Feminin award.
Arteta was also nominated for Coach of the Year, although in the last few days sources have indicated that his presence at the ceremony was not entirely postponed.
In addition, Arsenal are also up for Men’s Club of the Year alongside the likes of PSG, Flamengo, Bodo/Glimt and Bayern Munich after ending their 22-year wait for top-flight glory in May. It promises to be a historic night in the capital.
A worried Saka comment sheds new light on the injury
talking to football.london After Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Coventry City in August, Bukayo Saka revealed he had just seven full days off on the back of the World Cup before resuming training for the 2026-27 campaign. He explained: “The World Championships were a few months ago, but since then I’ve done a lot of work. It was more about balancing my rest time and not taking too many breaks. So I took seven days off and then started training again. I’m just trying to get back in good shape so I’m at the top of my game.” This detail feels very important after the quad injury in the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Given the Achilles problems he faced both at the World Cup and at the end of last season, Saka’s readiness to start the new season came as a surprise in some quarters. He handled it incredibly carefully, but he had a feeling that he needed a long break to rebuild his body after being pushed to the limit. However, he was eager to hit the ground running during this time. Arsenal are now expected to be without him for at least six weeks, potentially longer. Some sources say it could be the second half of December, or even after Saka is fully recovered and ready to throw himself into starting matches again. Arsenal remain tight-lipped on an official timetable and diagnosis. Likewise, they will consider the risk of bringing Saka back during a congested holiday schedule. Of course, it is still early days. Specialists and medical experts will monitor how the winger responds to treatment, and history suggests Saka has recovered relatively quickly. But after a string of high-profile muscle injuries, you can’t help but feel the 25-year-old needs a thorough rest this summer, although that’s on the back burner.
A physiotherapist working as a consultant at a Premier League football club (not Arsenal) said. football.london : “It’s normal for players to look forward to individual training ahead of the new season, but after long and grueling campaigns, international tournaments are usually costly. There’s a knock-on effect along any line. Players need a break and the calendar is really unforgiving these days. Players need to make those breaks count where possible.”
Declan Race posts injury update
Declan Rice took to Instagram to say he was “feeling good” despite clutching his right hamstring during Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton.
The England midfielder was substituted in the 80th minute, but has now uploaded a post to his story, writing: “Great win yesterday in tough conditions! Feeling great! On to next Gunners.”
Rice battled hamstring pain in the World Cup and played through injections late last season, putting his body on the line for the cause.
He iced his left hamstring after being substituted in England’s 2-1 round of 32 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta, but was later pictured playing through the pain barrier for the rest of the tournament before being fit for Arsenal’s start to the Premier League season.
Ozhianvuna won the League of Ireland
Shamrock Rovers were crowned League of Ireland champions on Friday after beating Sligo Rovers 4-0. It means Arsenal youngster Victor Ozhianvuna, who will move to north London in January 2027 after turning 18 on January 10, is set to receive his second league title medal.
Ozhianvuna, a technically gifted attacking midfielder, has been sidelined since May with a back injury. Boss Stephen Bradley said in September that the club’s medical staff felt it had something to do with his growth.
His move to Arsenal is worth £1.75m and also includes performance-related add-ons and a sell-on clause.
The talented youngster has made 18 League of Ireland appearances this season and was called up to the senior national team earlier in the year before his brilliant form was interrupted by injury. The Gunners staff believe he has first team potential.
Williams confirms he has rejected Arsenal
Athletic Club and Spain winger Nico Williams has revealed he has turned down a move to Arsenal ahead of renewing his contract with his youth club.
The Euro 2024 and World Cup winner – wanted by Mikel Arteta – signed a 10-year deal with San Mames in the summer of 2025 to secure Champions League qualification, a year after firing Bilbao to Copa del Rey glory.
In recent weeks, his agent Felix Tainta has publicly claimed that Williams’ bid to join Barcelona in 2024 collapsed due to Barca’s struggle to comply with Financial Fair Play rules and, in addition, a failure to guarantee minutes.
Speaking after Athletic Club’s 4-0 demolition of Getafe on Sunday, the elegant dribbler moved to clear up the saga, reaffirming his commitment to his current employers while rejecting interest from Arsenal and PSG.
Williams explained: “My brother was clear from what he said. It’s hard when your name gets wrapped up in things like that. Felix made a mistake in what he said, that’s not how things work. The final decision is me, my brother and my family.
“Only the three of us know what’s going on at home. I’ve never had any doubts about being here, I’ve had countless offers, I’ve been able to leave and I’ve been clear about staying here.”
“My intention is to be here, there’s no doubt about that. I said no to everyone, Barca, Arsenal, PSG and many more, because I’m here. I hope people will understand.”
Zara presented the Arsenal collection
Fashion giant Zara has launched a unique collaboration with Arsenal. football.london understands that this is more of a licensing deal rather than a formal retail partnership, although it is still expected to be worth the money commercially for the club.
The release has a real retro feel as it draws on the club’s heritage and location. Texts such as “COYG” and “North London” are also embroidered on knitwear, including jumpers.
The exclusive capsule collection is currently limited to children and youth (ages 6-14) and apparel such as hoodies, tracksuits and traditional scarves are available for purchase.
Most of the fashion items featuring the Arsenal crest are available online, although some have already gone on sale in international stores in places like Japan.