Arsenal XI vs AC Milan: Norgaard debut, starting lineup, confirmed team news for friendly today | OneFootball

Gabriel not in the matchday squad but summer signing makes first start

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings

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Arsenal begin their pre-season preparations in earnest when they take on AC Milan in a friendly this afternoon.

The Gunners are facing AC Milan in Singapore at the country’s National Stadium in what is their first game of pre-season.

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Arsenal have taken a 30-man squad to Asia for their pre-season tour, with striker Gabriel Jesus the only major injury absentee as he continues to recover from knee surgery earlier this year.

New signing Noni Madueke, who arrived last week from Chelsea for £52million, is also not part of the squad after playing for Chelsea at the Club World Cup earlier this summer.

Mikel Arteta, however, does hand a debuts to one of other new signings this summer as Christian Norgaard starts in midfield alongside Declan Rice and youngster Ethan Nwaneri.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is on the bench, as is Martin Zubimendi who has already caught the eye of the Arsenal manager in pre-season.

“We are all very impressed with what we’ve seen in the last seven to ten days,” said Arteta.

“Once you have the player daily there and you see his character, his personality, his intelligence, and how much he’s going to bring to the team. I’m very excited about it.”

William Saliba is back in the Arsenal starting XI but his central defensive partner will be Riccardo Calafiori as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White complete the quartet in front of David Raya. Gabriel is not involved at all as he continues his rehab from last season’s hamstring injury.

Arsenal have taken several academy players on tour, including 15-year-olds Marli Salmon and Max Dowman.

Young goalkeepers Alexei Rojas-Fedorushchenko and Tommy Setford are also in the touring party, along with defender Josh Nichols, midfielder Louie Copley and attackers Ismeal Kabia and Andre Harriman-Annous.

Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson have all been linked with moves away this summer, but are part of the matchday squad.

Confirmed team news

Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Norgaard, Rice, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Rojas-Fedorushchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Salmon, Nichols, Kiwior, Copley, Merino, Lokonga, Zubimendi, Kabia, Nelson, Trossard, Odegaard, Harriman-Annous, Dowman.