Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has predicted “very exciting times” for England under Thomas Tuchel and said his Three Lions squad members are pleased with the German’s appointment.
Tuchel was named as Gareth Southgate’s successor on Wednesday, with the ambition of guiding a group including Gunners stars Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka to 2026 Fifa World Cup glory.
“They’re going to learn a lot,” Arteta said, discussing what England players can expect from Tuchel, a Champions League winner with former club Chelsea.
“He is one of the best coaches in the world in my opinion, without a doubt. His experiences, the way his teams are set up – very exciting times. I have spoken to a few of the players and they had a smile on their faces, which is always a good sign.”
“I would take a lot of pride that a lot of managers would do anything to become England manager.”
Mikel Arteta’s brilliant response when asked about England hiring a foreign manager in Thomas Tuchel 👊
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— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) October 18, 2024
📰 Table Of Contents
Arsenal team news, injuries
Arteta, who said he was not one of the 10 candidates interviewed by the FA for the role, could be without Saka for his side’s trip to Bournemouth on Saturday (5.30pm BST) after the livewire withdrew from England’s Nations League squad last week, having suffered a hamstring issue during their 2-1 home defeat to Greece.
“It’s not a serious injury,” said the Spaniard. “He’s evolving really well. He’s done a few things in the last two days.
“He wasn’t fit enough to play with the national team for the second game [in Finland on Sunday] but we are hopeful. We have a training session this afternoon [Friday]. He did some bits yesterday, so let’s see if he can make it on time.”
Arteta is weighing up the “risk” of Gabriel Martinelli’s potential involvement following the attacker’s return from Brazil duty on Thursday, while defenders Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchencko are “quite close” to full fitness.
Back to business 💼
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— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 17, 2024
Havertz could play vs Bournemouth
Kai Havertz, who has been directly involved in 20 goals in his last 21 Premier League appearances, will perhaps be the most concerning absentee for Arsenal if he does not return from a knee problem that kept him out of Germany’s Nations League matches.
“He had a few issues and we’ve been dealing with that,” said Arteta. “He’s been absolutely brilliant. We’ve had very good communication with the national team, with the manager [Julian Nagelsmann].
“They understood the situation. We modified everything that we could do here and, if he trains well [on Friday], he’s got a good chance to be fit and available.”
Odegaard: Next week ‘crucial’
Captain Martin Odegaard remains sidelined by the ankle injury he sustained while with Norway in September. “He’s not going to be fit for this game,” accepted Arteta.
“Next week will be a different story, but in that later stage of rehab where he is at the moment… he needs to clear some markers, he needs to clear certain things, he needs to be comfortable, especially with the ball. Next week will be crucial to understand how close he is.”
Arsenal host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday (8pm) and Liverpool the following Sunday (4.30pm). They start the weekend unbeaten in the Premier League, a point behind the table-topping Reds.
