Arsenal Ace Set To Miss FA Cup Final + Attacker Faces Fitness Test

Arsenal appear to have been handed a major injury blow with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set to be ruled-out of the FA Cup final but Danny Welbeck will have a fitness test this weekend.

Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t featured for the Gunners since injuring his hamstring during our 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in March.

The 21-year-old’s comeback was delayed after he suffered a groin injury before aggravating his hamstring problem once again in training two weeks ago.

Arsene Wenger confirmed after last night’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland that the midfielder is due to return to full training but he wasn’t sure whether The Ox would be fit enough to link-up with England for their international double-header next month.

Wenger told Arsenal.com:

Alex is coming back into full training. He’s not completely ready yet. I can’t tell you if he will be available to go with England.

However, England boss Roy Hodgson has left Oxlade-Chamberlain out of his 24-man squad to face the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia in June and the Three Lions boss told reporters today that he would be “surprised” if the player played any part in next weekend’s FA Cup final against Aston Villa.

The news will be a huge blow for Arsenal as I think we’ve missed The Ox over the last two months but it’s also a cruel blow to the player too as it will be the second year in succession that he’s missed the FA Cup final having been ruled out against Hull last year with a groin injury.

However, there is slightly more positive news regarding Welbeck as he was named in the England squad earlier today and Wenger revealed that he’ll have a fitness test this weekend.

“Welbeck has a test on Saturday or Sunday. We’ll know more about it then.” Wenger told Arsenal.com

Welbeck has missed our last four matches due to a knee injury but it looks as though he could be in contention to return against West Brom on Sunday, or failing that be available to face Villa at Wembley next week.

It will be a big boost to have the 24-year-old back in contention as Olivier Giroud has looked jaded recently and we could certainly do with another goal threat up front having drawn a blank in front of goal again last night.