Arsenal XI vs Tottenham: Gyokeres debut – confirmed lineup, team news and injury latest…

Arsenal XI vs Tottenham: Gyokeres set for debut – Expected lineup, confirmed team updates, and latest on injuries.

The new recruit may make his first appearance for Arsenal in the North London derby held in Hong Kong.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur – forecast, team updates, and lineups.

Viktor Gyokeres is poised to make his debut for Arsenal as the Gunners face Tottenham in Hong Kong.

Gyokeres transferred to Arsenal from Sporting last week in a deal that could ultimately exceed £60 million, and he has been training with his new teammates this week.

A not-so-friendly friendly is anticipated on Thursday, as fierce rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur clash in a pre-season North London derby at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.

The Gunners have won all three of their matches this summer, following their 3-2 victory over Newcastle United, while Thomas Frank’s team recently played to a lackluster draw with Luton Town.

Riding high after the long-awaited signing of Viktor Gyokeres, who was introduced to the crowd in Singapore before Sunday’s match against Newcastle, Arsenal managed to defeat the Magpies in a thrilling five-goal encounter.

Anthony Elanga stepped into Alexander Isak’s shoes to give Newcastle the lead, but Mikel Merino struck back against his former club, and Alex Murphy inadvertently scored an own goal, shifting the momentum in Arsenal’s favor.

Jacob Murphy, sharing a name with the aforementioned player, equalized for Eddie Howe’s side with a brilliant low shot early in the second half, but the young star pictured above earned a late penalty that Martin Odegaard confidently converted.

While new signings have largely dominated discussions, 15-year-old Max Dowman is the center of attention in the red half of North London, having displayed remarkable confidence when competing against opponents twice his age in matches against AC Milan and most recently Newcastle.

Including a closed-door victory against Watford at London Colney, Arsenal boasts a flawless 3-0 record in friendly matches this summer and is now set to wrap up their tour of the Far East, after which Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao will soon make their way to the Emirates Stadium.

Both Arsenal and their rivals Tottenham are risking their unbeaten friendly records in Hong Kong, but while the Gunners have much to celebrate thus far, Thomas Frank’s squad has recently underperformed on home soil.

The Dane’s tenure began perfectly with a 2-0 victory over League One team Reading, followed by two different Spurs lineups facing Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town on July 26, neither of which secured a win.

A brace from Pape Sarr was only sufficient for a 2-2 draw against Wycombe at Hotspur Way, while 10,000 fans gathered at Kenilworth Road to witness a lackluster 0-0 draw between Spurs and Luton Town, which felt like a pointless pre-season match.

The news of Morgan Gibbs-White extending his contract with Nottingham Forest only further dampened Spurs’ morale, but a 10-day break from their usual environment may benefit Frank and his team as they gear up for three additional friendlies across three different nations.

The Lilywhites will also challenge Newcastle in South Korea on August 3, just four days before reuniting with Harry Kane, whose Bayern Munich team will host Tottenham in the Telekom Cup.

However, Spurs’ immediate focus is on breaking a three-year streak without a win against Arsenal, a team they have not defeated in a competitive match since the 2021-22 Premier League season, having lost their last three encounters with their noisy neighbors.

There is only one question on the minds of Gooners at the moment: will Gyokeres make his debut against Tottenham? Arteta was typically cautious when asked directly last week, but the Swede has now been included in team training, making an unofficial first appearance more likely than not.

The same applies to fellow newcomer Cristhian Mosquera, who was not considered prepared for the match against Newcastle but may now receive his Arsenal debut, particularly since Riccardo Calafiori suffered yet another injury in the previous game.

The extent of the Italian’s injury is uncertain, but Arteta has no reason to risk the defender, who has a history of injuries, and could join Gabriel Magalhaes (knock) and Jurrien Timber (ankle) on the injury list this week.

On the other hand, Spurs have left behind a group of six injured players, including Bryan Gil, Manor Solomon, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, and new signing Kota Takai, who will not participate in their pre-season tour.

Young players Mikey Moore, Alfie Devine, and Dane Scarlett have also been excluded as they look for loan opportunities, but the £55m signing Kudus is included, along with long-time captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean international is reportedly progressing in discussions regarding a transfer to MLS, but no agreement is anticipated to be finalized before Tottenham returns to the UK.

Arsenal’s potential starting lineup:

Kepa; White, Saliba, Mosquera, Zinchenko; Nwaneri, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Injured: Jesus (knee)

Doubts: Calafiori, Gabriel, Timber

Time and date: Thursday, July 31, 12:30 PM BST

Venue: Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong

Tottenham Hotspur’s potential starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Maddison, Bentancur, Sarr; Kudus, Solanke, Son