Arsenal explore Dubai return in January as Mikel Arteta seeks boost for title run-in
Arsenal are looking at the possibility of heading to Dubai for warm-weather training in January.
The Gunners have been to Dubai twice before, after Mikel Arteta was appointed manager in 2020 and also last season during the World Cup break.
The Covid-19 pandemic and congested calendar prevented Arsenal from visiting again in between those trips.
With no winter World Cup to contend with this season, the Premier League has reintroduced a winter break for clubs in January.
Arsenal are now considering heading to Dubai during that period, with Arteta a fan of taking his players away to train in a warmer climate before a busy end to the campaign.
The winter break was first introduced during the 2019-20 season, but has been absent since then due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2022 World Cup causing disruption to the football calendar.
The mid-season break is structured to ensure that Premier League matches will still be played every weekend over that period.
10 Premier League fixtures that are currently scheduled for Saturday, January 13 will be split across that weekend and the following one.
Arsenal are due to have no game on January 13 and will return to action the week after at home to Crystal Palace.
Before that, the Gunners' last game would be an FA Cup third-round tie on the weekend of January 6-7, which would provide them with a window to head to Dubai.
The only complication could be if Arsenal were forced to play a replay of their third-round game.
