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Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Triple Boost But Midfielder To Miss Chelsea

Arsene Wenger has given a team news update ahead of Arsenal’s Community Shield clash with Chelsea this weekend.

alexis sanchez arsenal

FA Cup holders Arsenal kick off the new 2017/18 campaign when they take on Premier League champions Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.

Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the media this afternoon and he’s given Arsenal.com a team news and injury update including the latest on a number of players.

The Gunners boss was pleased to confirm that he’ll have a strong squad available this weekend but there were doubts over Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey after they were absent from training today.

Ozil has a minor ankle problem while Ramsey is carrying a muscle injury but Wenger says neither issue is thought to be serious so the pair are expected to train on Saturday, putting them in contention to face Chelsea.

Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez were back in pre-season training late after being granted extended leave following their participation at the Confederations Cup this summer.

Mustafi resumed his pre-season training last weekend whereas Sanchez’s return was delayed until Tuesday due to flu but Wenger says the Chilean international has now fully recovered and is already looking sharp in training.

However, with so little time to prepare for Sunday’s season curtain raiser, Wenger says he’ll have to make a late decision over whether to include either Mustafi or Sanchez in the squad against Chelsea.

Gabriel arsenal

There was some negative news for Arsenal as Francis Coquelin has been ruled out of the game this weekend after suffering a knock during the Emirates Cup last weekend.

Luckily the injury isn’t thought to be too serious but Coquelin will still be out for around two weeks meaning he’ll also sit out the Premier League opener against Leicester City next week.

Another absentee for the foreseeable future is Gabriel as the centre-back is continuing his recovery from a serious knee injury that he sustained during the final day of last season.

Wenger told the clubs website:

on the team news…
We have basically everyone available to choose from on Sunday and today in training we didn’t have Ozil, but he should be alright, and Ramsey, who should be alright as well. Some players are just coming back like Alexis and Mustafi, and I haven’t decided yet if I will involve them or not.

on Ozil and Ramsey…
Ramsey had a little muscular problem, and Ozil a a little ankle problem. They will train on Saturday.

on Francis Coquelin…
No, he is not available. He got injured in the Emirates Cup but we don’t think it will be too bad – two weeks.

on Gabriel…
He is a long-term injury but he starts to run again now.

on Alexis…
He is good, as you can see from training. He had a good rest, so he needs to work on his fitness but once he is in a game he is sharp. He doesn’t look like he has been away.

on if he is over the flu…
He is over the flu, yes. I told you it was never a problem for us.

Arsenal fans will be hoping to catch a glimpse of record summer signing Alexandre Lacazette on Sunday as the French international striker is expected to make his debut alongside fellow new recruit Sead Kolasinac.

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