Girona vs Arsenal LIVE: Pre-season friendly match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction

Arsenal face Girona in a pre-season friendly this eveningGettyWith just under three weeks to go until kicking off the defence of their Premier League crown, Arsenal continue their pre-season preparations this evening against Girona. The Gunners have played one summer friendly thus far, beating MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors match at the training ground last weekend, but a step up in quality from the opposition is expected at the Estadi Montilivi.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta can give summer signings Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier another runout, but has to make a decision over Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli after they returned to training this week following World Cup duty, though Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Piero Hincapie should get some minutes under their belts as the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman aim to impress again.Girona faced the Gunners in the Champions League 18 months ago, but have since suffered the agony of relegation from LaLiga to the second division in Spain. To give this friendly some extra spice, their squad includes former Tottenham players Paulo Gazzaniga and Bryan Gil as well as ex-Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek. Follow Girona vs Arsenal LIVE below with our dedicated match blog.Girona vs Arsenal latest newsJurrien Timber injury timeline after Arsenal announcementJurrien Timber was not involved in the behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons last weekend and is not expected to be in the squad to face Girona on Saturday.He returned to London this week for a pre-planned appointment before flying back out to Spain.Arsenal insist there has been no setback with his recovery and that Timber’s brief trip to London was in line with his rehabilitation programme.However, no timeframe has been provided for when he is expected to be back playing.GettyToday's settingsEstadi Municipal de Montilivi, to give the stadium its full name, hosts this evening's pre-season friendly.The ground has a capacity of 14,624, though Girona struggled here last season, winning just six of 19 LaLiga outings.GettyGirona vs Arsenal latest match oddsOdds via betting sites (subject to change).Head to head (h2h) history and resultsThe sole previous meeting between these sides came in the league phase of the 2024/25 Champions League. Arsenal came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a Jorginho penalty and Ethan Nwaneri’s winner.Score predictionThe result of this match will be secondary for Mikel Arteta, who will be chiefly concerned with getting minutes in the legs of as many players as possible and avoiding injuries in doing so.With that said, he will fully expect a win against second-tier opposition, and with his squad near full strength, he should have no problems.Girona team newsAmong those who may feature for Girona are ex-Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek and Morocco’s World Cup star, Azzedine Ounahi.Former Tottenham winger Bryan Gil will also hope to play a part.GettyArsenal team news: White could featureGabriel and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to join up with the squad ahead of the match but they are unlikely to play a significant role after only limited training.Ben White could feature for what would be his first minutes since suffering a knee injury that brought a premature end to last season.GettyHow to watch Girona vs ArsenalTV channel and live stream: In the UK, the game will not be televised live. Fans can take in the action on Arsenal’s website and app.A pay-per-view pass can be purchased for the match, worth £6.99.Alternatively, supporters can buy a streaming bundle covering Arsenal’s full pre-season campaign for £14.99.Live coverage: You can follow all the action right here via Standard Sport’s live blog.Girona vs Arsenal LIVEHello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Girona vs Arsenal!Preparations for the new season will kick up a notch this evening as the Premier League champions take on the Spanish club in a repeat of the Champions League showdown between the two clubs from the 2024-25 league phase.We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news right here ahead of kick-off, which comes at 7pm BST from the Estadi Montilivi. Stick with us!StandardSport