Manager Jonas Eidevall has confirmed that Arsenal will have England forward Beth Mead available for selection for their clash with title rivals Manchester United.
The Gunners, who will be going for a 15th straight victory in the WSL, are three points clear of the visitors as two of the top three collide at the Emirates on Saturday. Mead was a doubt after withdrawing from the Lionesses squad last weekend due to 'family circumstances', following her appearance in England's 4-0 win over Japan.
The news is a huge boost for Eidevall who will also have Vivianne Miedema available for selection, following a leave of absence, as they look to overwhelm United with firepower. Mead was subject of discussion before her withdrawal from the Lionesses squad after she was quoted in a recent interview, that the lack of diversity in the England team was 'coincidental'.
When asked about the issue in his pre-match press conference ahead of the United game, the Arsenal manager stated that he didn't doubt Mead's values or her commitment to football being an inclusive sport.
"Beth (Mead) will be available," said Eidevall. "That is a huge boost for us, we need every player to be ready as we have tough games and tough opponents ahead of us.
"It think is obvious that football has work to do to become more accessible to more people. That will result in more inclusion at the top of the pyramid, which is the national team.
"I haven't read Beth's newspaper interview and don't know the context. but I know Beth as a person, she is a very warm, intelligent person and has great ideas to grow the game.
"I don't know what has been said but her heart is in the right place. She'll do good things for England going forward."
Eidevall also added that both defender Lotte Wubben-Moy and midfielder Jordan Nobbs who also withdrew from England duty also have a chance of featuring for Arsenal, but that Swedish forward Lina Hurtig would not play against United. The Gunners will put their perfect start to the season on the line against the Red Devils, although the visitors will move level on points with them should they claim the win.
But Eidevall's team have a good record at the Emirates Stadium, having already played twice there in 2022, with both outings coming against Tottenham, and winning each without conceding a goal (3-0 and 4-0). The club had already sold 38,000 tickets by Friday as they look to get another bumper crowd, with 47,000 attending the last North London derby.
"It is a very tough opponent but I am so pleased we can sell such a high number of tickets," Eidevall added. "It is always a beautiful experience and together with our fans we want to recreate this on Saturday.
"It is one of our two homes now. From the time I have been here we feel more and more that this is our home. We love sharing our love for Arsenal with so many people, it helps the bond between the team and the supporters.
"Man United are strong, so it will be tough, but we are confident we can deliver a good result."
Eidevall will also face a familiar face in the United side, with Nikita Parris making her first return to North London since leaving for Manchester in the summer. Parris scored two in three before the international break and the Arsenal boss insisted the two parted on good terms, wishing her every success at her new club.
"Nikita as a person was brilliant to have in and around the team," he said. "I think she is honest, straightforward, hardworking and puts the team first.
"She is one of those players who you wish every success towards after they leave. The situation just turned out that I choose to play other players before her, but I still value her as a person and a player.
"When her wish was to go and play in another environment, to allow her more playing time, we didn't want to stop her from doing that. Because she gave everything to us when she was here.
"That was her wish and I respected that."
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