Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Coquelin & Rosicky Boost Plus Welbeck Update

Arsene Wenger has given Arsenal.com a team news update and confirmed that Francis Coquelin and Tomas Rosicky are available for selection against Burnley this weekend.

Coquelin has been on the sidelines since suffering a knee ligament injury during our defeat at West Brom in late November but after making a swift recovery, the midfielder returned to training ahead of schedule last Monday.

The 24-year-old has now been able to train fully with the rest of the first team squad for the past two weeks and Wenger has confirmed the Frenchman is now available to make his comeback in our FA Cup clash against Burnley on Saturday.

Coquelin is set to be joined in the squad by Rosicky with the Czech international also back in contention after recovering from a knee injury that’s kept him out for the entire season so far.

Rosicky suffered the problem while on international duty back in June 2015 but after enjoying a run-out for the under-21’s last week, Arsene says the 35-year-old is also available for selection this weekend.

The boss also gave an update on Danny Welbeck after he returned to full training earlier this week after finally recovering from a knee injury that’s plagued him since way back in April of last year.

However, the attacker is going to need to play for the under-21’s before he’ll be in consideration for the first team, and with Saturday’s trip to Stoke coming too soon, Welbeck is likely to feature against Brighton next weekend.

Here is what Wenger told the clubs website:

on Coquelin and Rosicky…
Francis is available to play now because he has passed two weeks of full training. Tomas is also available for selection.

on Welbeck…
Danny Welbeck is not completely ready but he is not far. He needs a game or two because he’s been out since last April. The Stoke [under-21] game is too soon because he only had one session with the team, and that is too short.

It’s a huge boost to have Coquelin available again as we’ve sorely missed him in the middle of the park over the past couple of months, and Rosicky’s return will also give us another option in midfield during the second half of the season.

Let’s also hope that Welbeck can come through a reserve game and continue to build on his fitness over the next couple of weeks as he’ll be a very useful player to have available during the business end of the campaign.