Will Dubai freshen Arsenal?

Gabriel Martinelli is set to be out for around a month with the hamstring injury he picked up in the Carabao Cup semi-final defeat against Newcastle according to one source.

The winger is the latest attacking player to suffer an injury following the long-term hamstring issue for Bukayo Saka, the anterior cruciate ligament injury to Gabriel Jesus and the two month lay-off that captain Martin Odegaard faced earlier in the campaign.

Although the injury to Martinelli - who has scored seven goals and registered four assists across all competitions - will be a blow it has come at a time when Mikel Arteta can have a good look at his squad.

The Gunners have gone to Dubai on a winter break due to a 10-day gap between games as a result of them being knocked out of the FA Cup.

Arteta will be hoping that the break has the same impact as last season as the Gunners attempt to chase down Liverpool in the Premier League and try to go deep in the Champions League.

After going away last season, Arsenal lost just one of their last 18 Premier League games as they pushed the title race to the final day.

On this trip, the players' families have been welcome and there is downtime for the players to rest and build relationships with other members of the squad, alongside training.

Arteta will be hoping that the spirit and work done on the training pitch in Dubai will be just what his players need as they look to try to get over the line and win some silverware for the first time since 2020.