Arteta's candid assessment after Hong Kong setback

Mikel Arteta shared key injury updates and reflected on Arsenal’s final pre-season tour match following their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

Despite the loss, the Arsenal boss was satisfied with his side’s application.

“We played a really competitive match,” he said. “We gave minutes to a lot of players, tried a few different things and I think the performance was strong. We just lacked the final action in the final third.”

The match saw new signing Viktor Gyokeres make his unofficial debut for the club, coming on in the second half alongside fellow summer arrival Cristian Mosquera. Arteta said he was pleased with both players’ contributions.

“They’ve just joined us and already you can see the quality and personality they bring,” he said. “Viktor worked hard, made some good runs, and Cristian was composed. It’s early days, but they showed good signs.”

There were some fitness concerns heading into the match, with Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber all absent. However, Arteta eased fears over their availability.

“They’ve had some small issues and we didn’t want to take any risks,” he said. “They’ll be training with us and should be fine for the start of the season.”

Leandro Trossard was forced off in the first half with a suspected muscle injury after a tussle on the turn. Arteta admitted it could be something to monitor.

“He felt something in his muscle after a push when trying to turn,” he said. “We’ll scan it and see how bad it is, but hopefully it’s not too serious.”

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was also left out after some discomfort following the Newcastle United friendly.

“He could have played if it was a competitive match,” Arteta explained. “But we didn’t want to risk him so close to the start of the season.”

Reflecting on the pre-season tour, Arteta said: “We are ahead of where we were last year, which is really positive. We’ve developed a lot of things and now it’s about the fine details.”

He also praised the fans in Hong Kong, calling their support “unbelievable”.

“Everywhere we’ve been, we’ve felt the love,” he said. “The reception at the hotel, in the stadium — it’s been special.”

Arsenal now prepare to return to London for the final stages of pre-season, with Arteta confirming: “The focus now is recovery and getting ready for Manchester United.”

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