Mikel Arteta’s side are currently at the top of the Premier League after seven games, six of them resulting in victories and the only exception being the loss suffered at Old Trafford.
As many as 17 of Arsenal’s stars could end up missing the World Cup owing to diverse circumstances, from a potential change in international allegiance to not qualifying.
Given the stop-start nature of the current season and the upcoming World Cup, it falls on the Gunners to ensure their early season form does not tail off once club football resumes in December.
With that in mind, Arsenal are planning to take the squad, comprising all the players who did not make the cut for Qatar and some youngsters, to Dubai for a warm weather training camp, the like of which they had early in January.
The trip is being organised based on the recommendation of sport scientists to make sure that serious injuries are avoided with a break to be sandwiched in between periods of intense activity.
Karl Hein, Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mohamed Elneny and Martin Odegaard will miss the World Cup as their respective national sides failed to qualify.
Rob Holding, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe are unlikely to break into the England squad at this juncture, whereas Eddie Nketiah is still undecided over switching his international allegiance to Ghana ahead of the tournament.
Marquinhos, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Ben White, Cedric and Fabio Vieira were all omitted from their respective national teams during the recent international break.
Given the proximity of Qatar to Dubai, players whose teams are eliminated from the competition will be able to travel to the training camp without much difficulty and prepare for the latter part of the season.
