Arsenal's preparations for the 2023/24 campaign are about to step up a notch with a pre-season friendly against FC Nurnberg on Thursday evening.
The Gunners have been training at the Adidas HQ since Monday and their trip will culminate with a fixture against the 2. Bundesliga outfit and manager Mikel Arteta is expected to ring the changes to the side that started the 1-1 behind-closed-doors draw with Watford at the weekend.
As it's a pre-season fixture, the main purpose of the friendly will be to get minutes into the tank of the players who only returned to training less than a week ago, experiment with new tactics and potentially integrate one or two of the club's most promising wonderkids into the first-team picture.
Furthermore, with Kai Havertz in line to make his first appearance for Arsenal following his £65million transfer from Chelsea, perhaps supporters will get a glimpse as to how he will fit into Arteta's tactical set-up and with the countdown to kick-off underway, football.london has revealed three other things to look out for.
Timber presented
At the time of writing, Arsenal are yet to officially confirm Jurrien Timber as their second signing of the summer transfer window and this is despite reaching an agreement with Ajax last week over an initial £34.2million fee as well as the defender already undergoing a medical.
But things can change very quickly. In a scenario where the 22-year-old completes his move before kick-off on Thursday, there's a chance he could be handed an immediate debut. Alternatively, he may just be presented as the latest Dutchman to play for the Gunners - following in the footsteps of Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars and Robin van Persie.
READ MORE: Emile Smith Rowe makes key Arsenal pre-season tour decision to impress Mikel Arteta
Saliba bonus
Come game day it will have been 119 days since William Saliba's last Arsenal appearance. Limping off in the first half of the Europa League round of 16 second leg tie against Sporting CP, a back injury ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of last season and fans know all too well the impact his absence had on the Premier League title race.
Therefore, the good news is that the Frenchman is in line for a return to action having made the trip to Germany and taken part in both training sessions thus far. Of course, with him being out for so long he may not be able to complete the full 90 minutes just yet, but if he gets on the pitch it will be a bonus.
Transfer hints
For the second successive summer, the Gunners have taken a number of players with uncertain futures on tour. As revealed by football.london, Thomas Partey, Cedric Soares, Auston Trusty, Runar Alex Runarsson and Folarin Balogun will be sold if a decent offer arrives between now and deadline day.
The quintet have all travelled to Germany, but if none are to feature against Nurnberg then it could be the biggest indicator that all parties involved do not want to risk an injury that might derail a potential deal. Alternatively, this could be a farewell appearance for some in an Arsenal shirt.
Which of the following prospects would you like to see in the first team, or loaned out for experience? Swipe to have your say...
