Arsenal given surprise Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey boost as Mikel Arteta eyes title revival

Mikel Arteta will be taking Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus to Dubai with the Arsenal squad as trio step up recovery.

Arsenal travel to Dubai for a week away from London for a mixture of intense training, relaxation and recovery and commercial purposes. Some players left after the game with Liverpool on Sunday whilst the rest will travel to the Middle East on Tuesday, football.london understands.

This is a trip that has become a staple of the club’s season plans under Mikel Arteta that saw several stars not involved in the 2022 World Cup take part in the Dubai Super Cup with AC Milan and Lyon. They also travelled in 2020 for a training camp.

Despite being out injured, Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus are making the journey with fellow injury-affected players Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira, football.london understands. This is thanks to the whole of the medical staff making the trip with the strength and conditioning coaches made possible by the facilities the club are using.

There will also be the chance for the club to fulfil some commercial activities with the likes of Fly Emirates and Adidas amongst others. However, the main purpose of the trip is certainly for training and the chance for Mikel Arteta to find a pathway back to good form following the recent drip.

The team will return on January 17 and head straight into training at London Colney leading into the days before the game with Crystal Palace on January 20. The club had planned to return earlier depending on the result with Liverpool but with no replay they are not required to.

Sporting director Edu Gaspar may also be travelling out with the group but will of course be working on any potential opportunities that may arise during the transfer window. football.london understands the club are open to doing business if they find the right profile and it can fit into their financial capacity considering Profit and Sustainability Rules.

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football.london spoke to Reiss Nelson following the game with Liverpool. He explained the trip will be a great chance for the players to enjoy each others company outside of their usual setting.

"It is really good because it is a chance for the boys just to be together every day," he explained. "You are not in an environment where it is just training.

"We can do fun activities, go out. A lot of boys are bringing their families out as well, so it’s a chance to meet people’s families. It’s nice to be in the heat, train in the good weather, and it’s good for us."

There will indeed be chance for the players who have brought their families with them to spend time outside of training. Arsenal need a boost of morale after this recent run and the trip, whilst certainly a priority being training, is also targeted at improving the mood.

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