Unai Emery’s squad are concluding their warm-weather training camp in Dubai with a friendly at local side Al Nasr. It’s likely to be a low-tempo affair at the newly renovated Al Maktoum Stadium.
Here’s the team news…
Starting XI: Leno, Jenkinson, Mustafi, Mavropanos, Medley, Gilmour, Sheaf, Amaechi, Ozil, Suarez, Lacazette
Subs: Cech, Koscielny, Maitland-Niles, Pleguezuelo, Osei-Tutu, Thompson, Olayinka, John-Jules
It’s *expected* to be a low-tempo affair, but you never know. Keep it slow boys!
Looks like a reasonably good mix of experience and youth. Let’s hope that there are no injuries.
On second thoughts is this really a good idea? The last thing we need going into this crucial stage of the season are players picking up knocks or injuries. Even the much derided Mustafi has a part to play.
Fingers crossed are players come through unscathed.
The lesson is not to live life on the Handbrake
I hope so. The derision Mustafi receives is surely justified by his performance. At £35 million – still making him one of the most expensive central defenders in the EPL – he just isn’t good enough, game in and game out . What’s that noise? Valencia laughing all the way to the bank!
Risky and pointless
happy to see jenks, mavropanos and suarez get a start. the other first teamers i would prefer were sitting on the bench!
Still better than getting played out of the park by Newcastle because we had a two week vacation and couldn’t be up for it suddenly.
I can’t believe you lot have bothered writing this article. Is there going to be a live blog as well?
If Suarez scores the winner in the first game at the newly renovated Al Maktoum Stadium surely all those who said he wasn’t a valuable signing should hang their heads in shame.
Is this sarcasm?
Well, clearly no. It would be good to win but whether we win, lose or draw is irrelevant because this is a meaningless friendly against a local team – not a key game in the EPL or Europa League. You could say that if he doesn’t score against “modest” opposition then there really is something wrong. I don’t think Suarez was ever really one of Emery’s top loan targets (not sure about others at the club who are closer to Barcelona though). If true, it’s not a good basis to build on for the player or the club.
Clearly everybody thinks this is a good way to measure the quality of a player we seem to be considering signing on a permanent basis?!
I’m not trying to knock the player but he clearly hasn’t been showing enough in training to make our starting 11 in the prem and regardless of how he played in Dubai, does not really make a massive case for his level of quality.
A 4-2-3-1 formation on paper.
Nice goals… glad for Jenko! Thought Suarez had quite a good game!
Caught a bit of the game whilst simultaneously trying to get work done at the office so here’s a few points: 1) Al Nasr pressed with so much intensity for the first 10 – 15 mins, naively so I must say but they did cause a lot of problems and could’ve scored a couple had it not been for some good saves from Leno. 2) Mustafi is consistent. Consistently Mustafi. He over-committed for their first goal. 3) Mesut was sublime. Happy the fans got to witness such a master at work. 4) There is something about Denis Suarez. Had some… Read more »