Why did Declan Rice & Bukayo Saka miss Arsenal vs Dortmund Emirates Cup final 2026?

The Gunners will take on Coventry City in their opening league game of 2026-27 season.

The English Premier League champions, Arsenal FC, are back in action. They went head-to-head against Borussia Dortmund for the Emirates Cup final 2026. This pre-season friendly outing took place at the Emirates Stadium in London.

The Mikel Arteta-led side came into this fixture after a 1-3 loss to the LaLiga side Real Betis. It was a poor performance by them. The Gunners aimed to secure their first trophy ahead of the 2026-27 campaign against a friendly battle against Dortmund.

Arsenal came up with a phenomenal campaign last season. They secured the English Premier League title after more than two decades. Arteta’s men almost clinched the UEFA Champions League silverware, but lost to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the shootout. They will now be aiming for a season full of trophies.

Also Read: Three midfielders Newcastle United can target to replace Arsenal-bound Bruno Guimaraes

Why did Declan Rice & Bukayo Saka miss out?

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were part of the England national football team who finished third in the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are currently on a break and might return for the Community Shield fixture against Manchester City.

Other top players who are not present in the squad are Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, William Saliba, David Raya and Noni Madueke. They are also on the post-World Cup break. Notably, France’s Saliba sustained an injury during the semifinal against Spain and is not yet confirmed to join the squad anytime soon.

Mikel Arteta still managed to put up a decent squad against Dortmund. Kepa was the first-choice goalkeeper. Gabriel Magalhaes was leading the defensive back. In the midfield, Martin Odegaard was deployed to establish control of the game. Viktor Gyokeres was the main man in the attacking front as the sole striker.

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