Arsenal’s pre-season plans revealed with 14 players on post-World Cup holidays, Marbella camp and old-school friendlies

ARSENAL have officially started pre-season this week as they get ready to defend their Premier League crown. The Gunners lifted the title for the first time in 22 years last season and are determined to retain it. Arsenal are putting plans in place as they bid to retain the Premier League title Credit: Arsenal FC via Getty Images Mikel Arteta has worked with staff to put together a plan that will get his players up to speed for the new campaign. Arsenal begin their defence of the Prem on August 21, when they host Coventry City, and want to hit the ground running. Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter Thank you! Who is already in training? Arsenal had 15 players at the World Cup this summer, which means not many of last season’s squad are training right now. Ben White, who injured his knee in May, is one of them and he is back in full training. Jurrien Timber is stepping up his rehab after a minor operation last month and hopes to play some part in pre-season. Those not at the World Cup and now in training include the likes of Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Jesus, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori. Ethan Nwaneri, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson have also reported for duty after being on loan last season. New signing Illan Meslier has also got to work and is training alongside fellow goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Tommy Setford. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Teenage stars Marli Salmon and Max Dowman are with the first team, too, and could get plenty of minutes in pre-season. When are the World Cup stars back? Fifa rules state that players are entitled to a minimum of three weeks off during the summer break. Arsenal had 15 players over in North America this summer and they will return at different times, depending on when they exited the World Cup. One of those – Leandro Trossard – has already left after joining Besiktas for around £17million earlier this month. Eight of Arsenal’s squad made it to the final weekend of the World Cup and therefore will not be due back to training until August 10 at the earliest. That group includes England quartet Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Spain trio David Raya, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino are also part of it, as is France’s William Saliba. There is a chance they are given more than three weeks off, with Arsenal’s first Prem game not until August 21, and players’ return dates will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Arsenal’s six other players at the World Cup this summer were Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Piero Hincapie and Viktor Gyokeres. The two Gabriels, Havertz, Hincapie and Gyokeres all went out before the quarter-finals of the World Cup – and so should return to training next week. Odegaard and Norway made it to the last 8 and so a three-week break for him would see the Gunners skipper back in early August. What do Arsenal have planned? Arsenal officially started pre-season on Monday, although they held a mini training camp in Marbella last week. Arteta has organised a similar event in the past and did so again this year, inviting players to bring their families along, too. Arsenal have kept their pre-season plans low key this summer after a gruelling season that was 63 games long. They have also started later than other sides due to having 15 players at the World Cup and last season not finishing until May 30. They are not going on a farflung tour across the globe and instead will head to Spain later this month for a proper training camp. That will coincide with the Gunners having their first friendly of the summer at Girona on August 1. Four days later, they will take on Real Betis in Dublin before flying back to London for two friendlies at the Emirates. They are taking on Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on August 9 and then host Como three days later. All of that is designed to get Arsenal ready and firing for the Community Shield with Manchester City in Cardiff on August 16. What new faces are there and will more be coming? Arsenal have made Hincapie’s loan move from Bayer Leverkusen permanent for £34.5million and signed Meslier on a free transfer after his contract with Leeds expired. Christos Tzolis is undergoing a medical this week and will join from Club Brugge for a fee of £34m. The winger has already played friendlies for Brugge this summer and so is ready to get work with Arsenal. The club are working on more signings and still want to add a defender, midfielder and forward. There have been changes to the medical department over the summer and the new staff are running sessions this week. The new hires include Arnaldo Abrantes joining from Aston Villa as club doctor. Eneko Angulo arrives from Real Betis as a rehabilitation specialist and Bayer Leverkusen fitness coach Jose Jimenez has been added to the ranks as well. They have come in after club doctor Zafar Iqbal and head of sports science and performance Tom Allen both left. Sam Wilson, lead physical performance coach, has also departed after being poached by Italian side Parma. Comment now