Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Double Boost + Wilshere & Koscielny Update

Arsene Wenger has given a full team news update ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Vicarage Road to take on Watford on Saturday evening.

The boss confirmed that Laurent Koscielny could be back in contention after recovering from a hamstring injury that he picked up against Olympiakos at the end of October.

The centre-back was initially ruled out for three weeks but he’s recovered quicker than expected and will now have a late fitness test to see if he can return against Watford this weekend.

There is also good news on Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini with the duo back in contention for the trip to Vicarage Road. Both midfielders have been nursing muscle injuries in recent weeks but are now back in full training and available on Saturday.

Arsene also gave an update on Jack Wilshere and revealed that he’ll be out for at least another month as he continues to recover from a fractured fibula while Danny Welbeck is on course to return from knee surgery at the start of January.

Wenger is quoted as saying by the Mirror:

“The only thing today is Koscielny has a definite test to see if he is available or not. At the time Arteta and Flamini will certainly be available for selection.

“We have three players who could come back and be available again and I don’t think we lost anybody from our last game.

“They (Wilshere and Welbeck) are progressing well. Jack Wilshere is still one month away at least and Danny Welbeck at the earliest will be back beginning of January.”

It would be a huge boost if Koscielny was passed fit to return on Saturday but I hope we don’t rush him back too soon as the last thing we want is for him to aggravate the injury.

It’s also good to have Arteta and Flamini available again but the best they can hope for is a place on the bench as Francis Coquelin will no doubt start in the holding role against Watford.