Arteta ‘happy’ with Gyokeres debut and gives major Arsenal injury update after Tottenham loss

Mikel Arteta handed new signing Viktor Gyokeres his first taste of Arsenal action during the pre-season clash with Tottenham in Hong Kong.

The Swedish striker, signed in a £64m move just days earlier, was introduced in the 77th minute with Arsenal trailing 1-0.

Spurs had taken the lead through an excellent finish from Pape Matar Sarr, who lobbed David Raya from the halfway line.

Given that Gyokeres had only been officially unveiled on Saturday and has barely trained with his new teammates, Arteta was understandably cautious about giving him too many minutes on the pitch to avoid any early injury concerns.

The 26-year-old barely had an opportunity to get involved in the game, registering just two touches, but his manager was satisfied with what he saw.

Speaking after the defeat, the Arsenal boss said: “I am really happy to have them here (Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera).

“I think they are going to add a lot of value. You see straight away the energy and the quality they are going to bring.

“It was a short one (their debuts) but at least that one is over now – and when they play against Villarreal I’m sure it will be different.”

Major injury boost

Arteta also provided a positive update on three key Arsenal defenders ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are all expected to recover in time for the Gunners’ first league fixture of the season against Manchester United on Sunday, 17 August.

Gabriel featured for 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly win over Watford earlier this summer but has been absent from the club’s pre-season trip to Singapore and Hong Kong due to a training ground injury.

Calafiori, who started Arsenal’s opening two games of the tour, was forced off just moments into the second half against Newcastle and subsequently sat out the match against Tottenham.

Meanwhile, Timber has been gradually rejoining full team sessions after undergoing ankle surgery back in May.

Arteta replied when asked if any of his players would miss the start of the season: “I don’t think so.

“If they evolve like they’ve been involved in the last few days, the three of them will be available.”