Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Quintet Look Set To Miss Emirates Cup

Arsenal will step-up their pre-season preparations when they take on Lyon and Wolfsburg in the Emirates Cup this weekend.

Ahead of the tournament, Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the media at a press conference today and he’s given Arsenal.com a team news and injury update.

The boss confirmed that we have a relatively healthy squad but it looks as though we’ll be without five players with Mathieu Flamini, Wojciech Szczesny, Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina and Danny Welbeck all set to miss out this weekend.

Flamini is a major doubt after picking up a minor ankle knock during our pre-season trip to the Far East and with the midfielder tipped to leave the club this summer, I can’t see Arsene taking any chances with him.

Szczesny is also not expected to be involved as he’s on the verge of joining Roma on a season-long loan deal while Welbeck is still not back in training as he continues to struggle with a knee injury that he picked up way back in April.

Wenger revealed that the attacker is due to miss the start of the Premier League season but expects him to be available in three weeks time, meaning Welbeck should be in contention to face Crystal Palace on August 16.

The final two players who’ll miss out this weekend are Sanchez and Ospina with the duo still enjoying a well deserved break following their participation in the Copa America. Ospina is set to return to training on Monday while Sanchez will get his pre-season training underway the following week.

Here is what Wenger told the clubs website:

on team news…

We have everybody available who came from Asia. We have no injuries. Flamini has a little bit of a knock on his ankle but I will decide if I involve him or not over the weekend. Szczesny might not be involved because he might move to Roma as you have seen. Apart from that I hope I can give 90 minutes to every player.

on if Welbeck and Sanchez will feature…

No. Welbeck has not completely recovered, he is not in full training and Alexis comes back on August 3. Ospina comes back on Monday, and Alexis one week later.

on Danny Welbeck…

He is supposed to start to go outside and run again this weekend and if that is positive in the next three weeks he will be available. He will be short for the start of the season in two weeks, but three weeks should be all right.

We take on Lyon tomorrow before entertaining Wolfsburg on Sunday afternoon and hopefully the players can get through the games unscathed and improve their fitness ahead of next weeks Community Shield against Chelsea.