When do Arsenal’s World Cup players return? Team news, injuries for Premier League Boxing Day

Arsenal return to Premier League action with a five-point cushion at the top of the table.

Mikel Arteta’s side have a bit more time to prepare than some of the other leading Premier League clubs, having lost to Brighton in the Carabao Cup last month.

That leaves them a week off before they take on West Ham in a London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Boxing Day (December 26).

MORE: Premier League Boxing Day match schedule: Matches over the Christmas period over the 2022/2023 holiday

When do Arsenal’s World Cup players return?

There were 10 Arsenal players in Qatar overall, with William Saliba being part of the France team that went all the way to the final.

Four of them have already returned to friendly action for the Gunners, with Ben White and Thomas Partey featuring in the 2-1 win over AC Milan. White returned early from the England campaign without playing a minute for Gareth Southgate’s men, while Partey’s Ghana side were knocked out in the group stage.

Aaron Ramsdale, who served as a substitute for England number 1 Jordan Pickford, and Granit Xhaka, out of the round of 16 with Switzerland, played in the 2-0 loss to Juventus. Xhaka scored an own goal in a 2-0 defeat at north London, but the valuable minutes on the pitch made it a positive experience overall.

Are Arsenal’s World Cup players against West Ham in the Premier League available?

Given Saliba’s minimal role in France’s run and the extra recovery time granted by their League Cup knockout, it’s reasonable to expect all of Arsenal’s World Cup representatives to be in contention against West Ham. , with the exception of Gabriel Jesus.

Brazilian striker Jesus suffered a medial knee ligament injury during his country’s match against Cameroon that required surgery. The former Manchester City player could be out for up to four months.

Takehiro Tomiyasu nursed injury problems during Japan’s run to the round of 16, but Arteta reported that he was “running on the pitch” after the Juventus game.

All of Arsenal’s World Cup players were required to return to training for the week beginning December 19, with the exception of Saliba, who could still follow Ramsdale, White and Xhaka’s lead in returning on a minimal holiday.

Arsenal’s players in the World Cup: how they did in Qatar

Saliba has a silver medal in his pocket after a grand total of 27 minutes on the pitch during France’s group stage loss to Tunisia.

Bukayo Saka was a standout player for England, scoring three goals and producing a superb individual performance in a 2-1 quarter-final loss to France.

Brazil also departed in the quarters, but Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli predominantly served as backup to a talented front line led by Richarlison and Neymar.