Arsenal will remain without two important defenders for the opening stretch of the 2026/27 Premier League season, after Mikel Arteta offered another update on Jurriën Timber and William Saliba.

Timber has been involved with the pre-season squad, but Arteta said the right back is not close to a full return. The Dutchman remains “still weeks away” from playing, with the manager adding that there is no exact timeline. Arsenal begin their title defence with a Friday night trip to Coventry City on Aug. 21, and with four league matches to follow before the September international break, a comeback before October appears unlikely.

“I cannot be very precise with [Timber’s return schedule],” Arteta told reporters. “Jurriën is progressing really well. He’s on the [training] pitch and doing quite a lot right now but is still weeks away [from playing a match]—I cannot tell you how [many weeks].”

Saliba’s situation looks even more serious. The defender went to the World Cup, but a back injury that was worsened in France’s semifinal defeat to Spain last month has ruled him out of contention. Arsenal had already confirmed that he would miss an “extended period,” and Arteta now says “Willy is in rest mode” and has done “almost nothing” over recent weeks so as not to aggravate the problem further. “It’s going to take some time to heal.”

That leaves Arsenal with a notable gap beside Gabriel at the heart of defence. Cristhian Mosquera is again in line to cover for Saliba, while Timber’s absence increases the need for Ben White on the right, despite transfer links this summer. Piero Hincapié is another option at centre back, although he has mainly been used at left back because of Riccardo Calafiori’s inconsistent availability.

Arsenal midfielder Louie Copley has revealed that his preseason outing ended with a serious knee injury after the club’s 3-1 defeat to Real Betis.

Copley was introduced at half time and briefly filled in at right back, but his first appearance of the summer lasted only 11 minutes before he was forced off. The injury has since been diagnosed as an ACL problem.

On social media, Copley wrote: “Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now, to making my preseason debut for the team I’ve grown up supporting to finding out I’ve ruptured my ACL,” he reflected on social media.

He added: “The road ahead won’t be easy but I’ll give everything to come back stronger and better.”

The timing leaves Copley facing a long recovery, with the possibility that he could return later in the coming season if rehabilitation goes well. For now, though, expectations will be kept in check as he begins a difficult spell on the sidelines.

His setback also removes a player who had been trying to make a case at right back, a position Arsenal have already had to manage carefully. Jurriën Timber has spent months out with a groin issue, while Ben White has also dealt with significant fitness problems in the past. White has been starting this summer, with Copley being given the chance to provide cover before the knee injury struck.

Arsenal’s defensive concerns are not limited to the right side. William Saliba is set for a lengthy period out because of a back problem, and that has already pushed Cristhian Mosquera, another right-back option, into central defence alongside Gabriel.

For Copley, the injury is a harsh interruption to a preseason that had offered him a chance to step forward.

Bruno Guimarães has set out what he expects to add to Arsenal after completing his move from Newcastle United, describing himself as the club’s “warrior” in midfield.

The Brazilian made clear that the prospect of linking up with Declan Rice was part of the attraction. Rice had already reached out before the transfer was finalised, and Guimarães said the message made an impression.

“Rice sent me a message: ‘Come here and please no more fights, now we’re friends!’ I was happy he messaged me,” Guimarães told Arsenal.com . “In my point of view, [the Arsenal midfield] is one of the best in Europe. Everyone is an amazing player.

“Every time when I play against [Arsenal] it was very tough. They keep the ball, they defend like one. I think that combination is the way I like to play as well, and of course, joining the winners of the league is always a big opportunity.”

He also explained the qualities he expects to bring to the side, stressing energy, control and commitment.

“I can pass the ball, run a lot and play like a warrior, I’ll never give up. I will try to help the team, [I’m] good with the ball, composed, very calm, and sometimes I can score some goals.”

Guimarães will wear the No. 39 shirt at Arsenal, a number tied closely to his family. He revealed in 2023 that 39 was the taxi number used by his father in Rio de Janeiro, and that he has kept it for that reason throughout his career.

He said: “It means everything to me,” Guimarães explained. “I have the tattoo of the 39 as well. My father was a taxi driver in Brazil for more than 20 years. The taxi, of course, gave me everything for my family, the place we live, the food, my clothes, everything.

“So when I got the chance to sign to a top club in Brazil, I asked my father which number I should take and he said 39. I was upset a little bit because I wanted to take the 97. He said: ‘No, no, take the 39. The 39 gave you everything.’”