Premier League leaders Arsenal will have their fair share of representatives at the Qatar World Cup, from Ghana’s Thomas Partey and Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka to England trio Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White.
But which other familiar faces should Gunners fans be keeping an eye out for?
Meet the 11 former Arsenal men heading to Qatar
Emiliano Martinez – Argentina
Before joining Aston Villa in the summer of 2020, Martinez had never played a single international game. Two years later, one of the modern game’s most underrated glovesman could earn his 20th cap during Argentina’s group-stage opener against Saudi Arabia next Thursday.
Undeniable proof that regular first-team football at club level can work wonders for your international prospects.
Serge Gnabry – Germany
Without Hansi Flick’s side likely to start without a genuine centre-forward in Qatar, despite Niklas Fullkrug’s debut goal in the unconvincing warm-up win over Oman, Gnabry is one of the most obvious candidates to feature through the middle as something of a ‘false nine’.
A dark horse for the World Cup Golden Boot perhaps; the Bayern Munich forward has 20 goals in just 36 caps.
Yunus Musah – United States of America
Alongside Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson and Sergino Dest, New York-born Musah is part of an exciting, up-and-coming generation of all-American talent. There was considerable excitement across the pond when the energetic 19-year-old midfielder committed his future to the USMNT despite also being eligible for Ghana, Italy and England.
“This is a great kid,” Musah’s former England U17 coach Steve Cooper tells ESPN. “What I especially like about him is that he’s got a really good aggression on the pitch. Yunus stands out for his (Paul) Pogba-like athleticism to power away from defenders.”
Aaron Ramsey – Wales
It’s fitting that, with Wales counting down the seconds until their first World Cup campaign since 1958 kicks off, Aaron Ramsey will be along for the ride in Qatar. Alongside Gareth Bale, the now-Nice based Ramsey will go down in history for the role he has played in an era of almost unprecedented success for Cymru.
Joel Campbell – Costa Rica
Not the most-easily recognisable name on this list, perhaps. But, with 119 caps for his Central American nation, Campbell is the most experienced. The now-30-year-old winger made just 23 league appearances during seven seasons as an Arsenal player.
Wojciech Szczesny and Krystian Bielik – Poland
It’s fair to say one of the aforementioned duo is more likely to start than the other in Qatar. Szczesny remains the number one for both Poland and Juventus, and will be hoping to bow out in style during his final World Cup. Birmingham City loanee Bielik, meanwhile, was a far more surprising selection, having only picked up five caps to date.
Mathew Ryan – Australia
The former Brighton and Hove Albion shot-stopper has found game time hard to come by at club level in recent years (warming the bench at both Arsenal and Real Sociedad). But, make no mistake, he is still one of the first names on Australia’s team sheet.
Matteo Guendouzi and Olivier Giroud – France
The evergreen Giroud needs just two goals to replace Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as Les Bleus’ all-time record marksman. Can he make history in Qatar? In contrast, Guendouzi heads to the Middle East at the other end of his international career.
Blossoming from a boy to a man in Marseille, five of Guendouzi’s six caps have come in 2022 alone.
Lucas Torreira – Uruguay
Just this week, a player Arsenal signed for £26 million on the back of his impressive showing at the 2018 World Cup admitted that a burning desire to feature in the next one was a key factor in his departure from the Gunners last summer.
“I had to have continuity for the World Cup. So that’s why I decided to go to Turkey and Galatasaray,” Torreira explains. “Their project ended up convincing me. And it’s very important for a player like me to continue having continuity, as I had last season.
“The call from Galatasaray came.”
Starting 12 of Gala’s last 13 Turkish Super Lig games, securing himself a place in Uruguay’s final 26, Torreira’s decision certainly paid off.
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