It is Friday, and we are on the cusp of a scortching hot weekend! It is also the last weekend before proper football returns!

Up next in pre-season is Lyon on Sunday. Our final friendly as Mikel Arteta’s preparations for the new season are reaching their climax.

On Wednesday we thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-1. A great performance and result against the German invincibles. Although it is just a friendly and they are a week behind us in their preperations.

Against Lyon I would expect Arteta to start with the team he looks to play against Wolves. But he has a few headaches.

Defenders fitness

Neither Jurrien Timber or Riccardo Calafiori were part of the midweek squad.

Timber was given a break as he continues his rehabilitation from a season out injured. Expect his game time to continue to be managed whilst he rebuilds fitness and trust in his knee.

Calafiori was also given a few days off following his whirlwind move to Arsenal.

He basically flew from Bologna to London, had his medical the went straight out to America. I imagine he was using this week to settle himself and his family in London. I do not think we always respect how tough it can be for players to move country at the drop of a hat – yes, they get paid well but they are still human!

With Takehiro Tomiyasu struggling again with a strain (how much longer do we persist with him?), I would expect the back 4 to be White Saliba Gabriel Calafiori going into the new season, with Timber being eased in and rotated across the back 4.

Kai Havertz back to midfield?

I have made it clear that I think Kai Havertz is our best striker. But then Gabriel Jesus has looked sharp up top and Havertz provided two assists and a goal from midfield against Leverkusen.

Calafiori strengthens the left defensively, and the result could see Havertz drop deeper again. But this time he is free’d up from his defensive duties and we will not be exposed by Olexsander Zinchenko’s positioning.

With the Mikel Merino deal not yet done, we could see Havertz drop deeper for the start of the season.

Or will it be Zinchenko?

The Ukrainian was excellent against Leverkusen, and he showed with his goal how he can influence the game from more advanced positions.

I would still not be surprised to see Zinchenko start the season in the left handed central midfield role, if the decision is to play Havertz up top.

A lot of fans have written off Zinchenko, but he is certainly an option for Granit Xhaka’s former position, and if you are looking for “two players for every position” I can certainly see him and Merino dovetailing nicely.

And what for the Euro boys?

Those lads that went to the euro final only returned to training last weekend, but I expect all of them to start Sunday.

This is not the 70s or 80s where players would turn back up to pre-season overweight and the first 2 or 3 weeks would be sweating off their over consumption. Players look after themselves a lot better these days.

Expect them all to get a 60 minute run out Sunday, and then be ready to start against Wolves.

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Not sure if I will get a blog out over the weekend. Things are quiet right now as the club put the finishing touches on pre-season.

I would expect Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson to depart next week, and we should see Merino come in. Any further transfers could depend on if selling clubs drop their asking prices (keep an eye on Ivan Toney with one year left on his contract).

Enjoy your Friday.

Keenos