Gyokeres could make Arsenal debut versus Tottenham, suggests Arteta
Viktor Gyokeres finally completed his move to Arsenal last week, and the Sweden international could make his debut on Thursday.
Viktor Gyokeres is in contention to make his Arsenal debut against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in Thursday's friendly in Hong Kong, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.
Arsenal finally completed a deal worth £63.5m for Gyokeres last week, having been locked in negotiations with the Swede's former club Sporting CP for several weeks.
Gyokeres, who will wear the number 14 shirt made iconic by Gunners legend Thierry Henry, arrives as the most prolific striker in Europe's top 10 leagues from last season.
He scored 39 goals in just 33 Primeira Liga outings as Sporting captured their 21st top-flight title. His 27 non-penalty goals were also the most in Europe's top 10 leagues, ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski (24 each).
Arsenal hope Gyokeres will provide a focal point for a team that did not have a player in double figures for Premier League goals last term – the first campaign that has ever been the case for the Gunners.
And his first outing for the club could be a North London derby, with Arsenal set to conclude their pre-season tour of Asia against Thomas Frank's Spurs.
"Yes, I understand he's only done today's session and yesterday, he did very little," Arteta told reporters on Wednesday.
"We're going to assess how he is tonight. If the medical staff are happy as well with his condition to participate tomorrow night, it's a possibility.
"With the rest of the squad, everybody is okay."
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, believes Gyokeres has the attributes to be a perfect fit for their frontline.
"Every new player, we try to help them in the best possible way," Odegaard told the club's website. "That's what I felt when I came here.
"I felt at home straight away. I felt how good the culture and environment was. Everyone just wants to help you and get the best out of you.
"So far, he's having a good time, I think. I think you've all seen what he's done in his career. Especially the last season at Sporting, the numbers speak for themselves.
"He's a very complete player. He's physical, strong, fast, a good finisher and intelligent as well. I think he's a very complete striker. You can also see the hunger, the energy he brings.
"I'm really excited to have him with the team. He's only trained a few times, but you can already see the quality, the energy and the willingness."
