Arsenal are on the verge of confirming Mikel Arteta’s appointment as their head coach but he will watch Saturday’s match at Everton from the stands.

In a similar state of affairs Everton hope Carlo Ancelotti will be announced as their manager in time to take a seat at Goodison Park, before overseeing the team for the first time on Boxing Day.

Arteta has agreed a contract, believed to run until 2023, to succeed the sacked Unai Emery. A formal announcement is imminent, with the former Arsenal captain to be officially presented at a press conference on Friday, pending any last-minute delays.

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The Everton game comes too soon for Arteta to take hands-on control, however, with Arsenal’s players travelling to Merseyside on Friday lunchtime and little chance for the new manager to oversee training. Barring a late change of heart he will leave the team’s operations to Freddie Ljungberg, who has overseen their last five games, and observe from the sidelines. The match at Bournemouth on Boxing Day will be the first at which he takes full control.

The deal will go through despite unhappiness from Manchester City about Arsenal’s conduct throughout their courtship of Arteta. City were angry that, from their point of view, Arsenal had made no formal contact about their wish to hire the Spaniard and cautioned that, until a seven-figure compensation fee was paid, he would not be released. But the icy relations have proved no barrier to getting the deal done and Arteta’s return will soon be rubber-stamped.

The precise makeup of Arteta’s backroom team has yet to be decided. Ljungberg will almost certainly be involved in some capacity while Rodolfo Borrell, who works with Arteta and Pep Guardiola at City, is understood to be a target.

Domènec Torrent, who also coached at City before a 15-month spell as head coach of New York City FC, may be in their thoughts too but Arsenal’s prospects of signing either or both men are unclear.

Everton have said Duncan Ferguson will continue as caretaker manager against Arsenal. The club hopes to confirm Ancelotti’s appointment on Friday or Saturday. They play at home to Burnley on Boxing Day.