Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 7y

Petr Cech: Arsenal prepared well for preseason tour despite food poisoning

SHANGHAI -- Petr Cech says Arsenal are finding the right balance between pushing the players in training and protecting their health in the heat, after food poisoning struck the Gunners camp during their preseason trip to Shanghai.

A handful of Arsenal players were struggling with illness before and during Wednesday's friendly against Bayern Munich at Shanghai Stadium after doing double sessions in sweltering heat on both Monday and Tuesday.

The temperature at kickoff against Bayern was 37 degrees (Celsius), and manager Arsene Wenger said the change of climate had been "a shock" after spending the previous week in Australia, where it is winter.

Cech, though, defended the hard training regimen by saying that "the main purpose is to get fit" and that the club has everything in place to look after the players.

"We had very good facilities in Sydney, and we had great facilities here. So I think we have everything we need. The only thing is that you need to find a way to keep the players cool and hydrated. But in the end we had a really good workout," Cech said in the mixed zone after the game, which Arsenal won in a penalty shootout after salvaging a 1-1 draw.

"In the modern game, more and more you go on tour so people know what to expect and we are more prepared for it."

Arsenal travelled to Beijing for another friendly against Chelsea on Saturday, with the health of the squad a major question mark.

Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud both had to skip the Bayern game because of food poisoning, while Wenger said Sead Kolasinac, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey all felt ill during the match.

Wenger acknowledged that the extensive travel schedule between different climates isn't "ideal" when it comes to preparing the team for the upcoming season, but Cech was confident it would work out.

"We had a really strong week of training so it was good to get everybody playing. And in the end when you win the game, it's always more pleasant," he said.

"Because the main purpose is to get fit. And obviously the matches are a good test for us and to keep fit as well.

"In Australia, it was more about the offensive game; [against Bayern] we had to defend as well. It's always good when you have the hard work done and then you have a positive result."

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