Arteta to run extra sessions with six Arsenal players who missed international call-ups

Mikel Arteta is planning to make productive use of the international break by running extra training sessions with up to six Arsenal players who were not called up by their national teams, following the club’s 3-0 loss to Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

The Premier League pause arrived at an awkward moment for Arsenal, with Arteta unable to address the Brighton defeat with his full squad. However, a handful of first-team players have remained in north London, giving the manager a small group to work with over the coming weeks.

Defender Ben White is among those available. He was not included in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, and while Tuchel had expressed interest in working with him, White has since picked up an injury and will rest — though he could still take part in some training under Arteta. Fellow centre-back Piero Hincapie has also been left out of the Ecuador squad due to a minor groin problem and is expected to follow an individual training plan after featuring on the bench against Brighton.

In goal, Arteta has options. Illan Meslier is set to be available throughout the break, while Kepa was not selected by Spain despite being seen leaving the Amex alongside David Raya, Mikel Merino, and Martin Zubimendi. Whether Kepa returns to his homeland or stays to train remains to be seen.

Winger Noni Madueke, who featured at the World Cup, was not selected by Tuchel for England’s latest camp and will look to sharpen his fitness at Arsenal’s training ground.

The situation around Kai Havertz is less clear. The forward was named in Jürgen Klopp’s first Germany squad, but Klopp has split his selection across two separate groups, with Havertz among those involved only in the first round of fixtures. It is not yet confirmed whether he will return to north London in time to join Arteta’s sessions for the second half of the break.

Before the Brighton defeat, Arteta acknowledged the uncertainty around the break, saying: “Let’s see, it’s something that we’ll have to experience. As you’ve seen, different national teams, different managers have taken different approaches in terms of the numbers that they have put in the squad.”