An Arsenal Debrief following Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton as the Gunners ramp up preparations for Tuesday's Carabao Cup fourth-round trip to Fleetwood Town

Mikel Arteta is seeking to avoid a Carabao Cup upset on Tuesday evening when Arsenal travel to League Two side Fleetwood Town (8pm).

The Spaniard will be hopeful for a clean bill of health following Saturday's routine victory over Everton after Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Zubimendi all suffered minor fitness issues.

Here are several items ahead of tomorrow night's game and tonight's Ballon d'Or ceremony in London.

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Arsenal hatch Fleetwood travel plan

Arsenal will fly up to the North West - from Luton to Blackpool - on Tuesday for their Carabao Cup clash against Fleetwood Town.

That's largely because a club delegation is poised to attend this evening's prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre and the Gunners are keen to minimise the impact the gala has upon preparations for tomorrow's fourth round tie.

In previous seasons, Arsenal have travelled on the day of away Carabao Cup matches before, too. The squad took the train to Preston, for instance, before defeating North End 3-0 at Deepdale in October 2024. Training and tactical detail is unaffected; it's more a slight shift in logistics.

They are poised to arrive in Blackpool in the early afternoon and will likely embark on their routine team stroll before holding a final pre-match meeting at their hotel.

A number of players from both the men's and women's teams have been nominated for awards. Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are amongst the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or after firing Mikel Arteta's side to the Premier League title and the Champions League final last season.

No Arsenal player has ever won the top prize. Iconic forward Thierry Henry finished twice, on two occasions, in 2003 and 2006 before later departing for Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Goalkeeper David Raya has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy while Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or Feminin.

Arteta has also been nominated for Coach of the Year, though in the past few days, sources indicated that his attendance at the ceremony wasn't entirely set in stone.

Additionally, Arsenal are also up for Men's Club of the Year alongside the likes of PSG, Flamengo, Bodo/Glimt and Bayern Munich after ending their 22-year wait for top-flight glory in May. It promises to be a historic night in the capital.

Worrying Saka comment sheds fresh light on injury

Speaking to football.london in August after netting in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Coventry City, Bukayo Saka revealed he took just seven full days of rest on the back of the World Cup before he started training again for the 2026-27 campaign. He explained: "The World Cup was a couple of months ago, but I've put in a lot of work since then. It was more about balancing my time off and not having too much of a break. So, I took seven days off and then I started to train again. I'm just trying to come back in good shape so I'm on top of my game." Following his quad injury, sustained in the 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich, that detail feels very significant. There was surprise in some quarters that Saka was ready to start the new season given the problems he'd experienced with his Achilles, both at the World Cup and during the back-end of last season. He managed the issue incredibly carefully but there was a sense he needed a prolonged break to reset after pushing his body to the limit. He was eager to hit the ground running this term, however. Arsenal are now expected to be without him for a minimum of six weeks, potentially much longer. Some sources have intimated it could be the second half of December or even beyond by the time Saka is fully recovered and ready to fully throw himself back into starting matches. Arsenal remain tight-lipped on the official timeline and diagnosis. Equally, they will be mindful of the risk that comes with potentially rushing Saka back during the congested festive schedule. It's still early days of course. The specialists and medical experts will monitor how the winger responds to treatment and history suggests Saka heals relatively fast. But following an accumulation of high-profile muscle injuries, you can't help but feel the 25-year-old needed a thorough rest this summer, though that's hindsight.

One physiotherapist, who works as a consultant for a Premier League football club (not Arsenal), told football.london : "It's normal for players to push themselves in their individual training ahead of a new season but international tournaments, on the back of long and gruelling campaigns, usually do come at a cost. Somewhere along the line, there is a knock-on effect. Players need a break and nowadays, the calendar is really unforgiving. Players need to make those breaks count where possible."

Declan Rice issues injury update

Declan Rice said during an Instagram post that he was "feeling good" despite holding his right hamstring during Arsenal's 2-0 Premier League win over Everton.

The England international midfielder was substituted on 80 minutes but now seems to have eased any concern over his fitness, writing in a post uploaded onto his story: "Great win yesterday in tough conditions! Feeling good! Onto the next Gunners."

Rice battled neural hamstring pain at the World Cup and also played with injections at the tail end of last season, putting his body on the line for the cause.

He was pictured icing his left hamstring after being replaced in England's 2-1 Round of 32 triumph over DR Congo in Atlanta but trudged through the pain barrier during the rest of the tournament before later being fit for the start of Arsenal's Premier League season.

Ozhianvuna wins League of Ireland

Shamrock Rovers were crowned League of Ireland champions on Friday after thrashing Sligo Rovers 4-0. It means incoming Arsenal youngster Victor Ozhianvuna, who will complete his move to north London in January 2027 once he turns 18 on January 10, is set to pick up his second league title medal.

Ozhianvuna, a technically-gifted attacking midfielder, hasn't played since May due to a back injury. Boss Stephen Bradley said back in September that club medical staff felt it was linked to his growth.

His switch to Arsenal is worth in region of £1.75m and also includes performance-related add-ons, plus a sell-on clause.

The talented teenager has made 18 League of Ireland appearances this season and had been tipped for a senior national team call-up earlier in the year before his bright form was halted by injury. Gunners staff firmly believe he has first-team potential.

Williams confirms he rejected Arsenal

Athletic Club and Spain international winger Nico Williams has revealed he rejected a transfer to Arsenal before renewing his contract with his boyhood club.

The Euro 2024 and World Cup winner - wanted by Mikel Arteta - penned a bumper 10-year deal at San Mames in the summer of 2025 on the back of securing Champions League qualification, one year after firing Bilbao to Copa del Rey glory.

In recent weeks, his agent Felix Tainta claimed publicly that Williams' proposed switch to Barcelona in 2024 collapsed due to Barca's struggles complying with Financial Fair Play regulations and additionally, their failure to provide assurances over minutes.

Speaking after Athletic Club's 4-0 demolition of Getafe on Sunday, the slick dribbler moved to clarify the saga, reaffirming his commitment to his current employers while also noting that he rejected Arsenal and PSG interest, too.

Williams explained: “My brother was clear with what he said. It’s hard when your name is wrapped up in that kind of thing. Felix has made a mistake with the words he said, things are not like that. The final decision is made by me, my brother and the family.

“What happens at home, only the three of us know. I have never doubted being here, I have had countless offers, I have been able to leave and I have been clear about staying here,”

“My intention is to be here, it cannot be doubted. To Barca, Arsenal, PSG and many more I told everyone no because I was here. I hope people understand."

Zara launch Arsenal collection

Fashion giant Zara have launched a unique collaboration with Arsenal. football.london understands it's more of a licensing deal, rather than an official partnership retail range, though it's still expected to be worth money for the club commercially.

The release has a real retro feel to it as it leans into the club's heritage and location. Text such as 'COYG' and 'North London' is also embroidered on knitwear, including jumpers.

The exclusive capsule collection is currently limited to kids and youth (ages six to 14) only and garments such as hoodies, tracksuits and traditional scarves are available to purchase.

Most of the stylish items, which feature the Arsenal crest, are available online, though some have already been rolled out in stores internationally in locations such as Japan.