Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Trio Could Return + Ramsey Update

Arsenal will look to bounce back from their opening day defeat to Liverpool when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday evening.

Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger has been speaking at his pre-match press conference this morning and has given reporters a team news and injury update.

Laurent Koscielny missed the disappointing 4-3 defeat to Liverpool after only returning to pre-season training on the 8th of August having been granted an extended break following his participation in the Euro 2016 final.

With Gabriel joining Per Mertesacker on the sidelines, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers were forced to start last weekend and the young duo struggled at times so it comes as a relief that Wenger says Koscielny is close to making his comeback.

Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud also sat out of the Liverpool loss after arriving back late to training following their exploits in France and Wenger has hinted he could take a gamble with them – although he suggests Koscielny is the most likely to start.

Wenger is quoted as saying by the Express:

“He’s (Koscielny) close to returning. It’s very difficult. The clubs pay always for the fact the players play in this tournament. The Euro finished July 10, you started 14th August. So what can you do.

“Do you give the player normal holiday and they aren’t ready, or they are mentally and physically jaded. The fact is I gave him holiday at the start and Gabriel, Mertesacker, we lost the two.”

“Maybe I will take a gamble on bringing them back early but I have 48 hours to decide. If I have to take a gamble on one it will certainly be him (Koscielny)”

Wenger also offered an update on Aaron Ramsey after the midfielder was forced off midway through the second half of Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon with a hamstring injury.

Thankfully the boss confirmed the injury isn’t serious but Ramsey will still miss 2-3 weeks meaning he’ll miss games against Leicester and Watford but should return after the upcoming international break.

Alex Iwobi was also forced off with a thigh injury against Liverpool but Wenger also revealed that the attacker is expected to be available to face Southampton after the international break next month.

The boss continued to the Express:

“Ramsey is out for 2-3 weeks. It is not a bad injury. He should be back after the break. Iwobi as well.”

So we head to the King Power looking to get our season up and running following a poor start but the squad is set to be boosted by the return of three key players in Koscielny, Ozil and Giroud.

Ramsey and Iwobi will be big losses but it opens the door for the likes of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to come in to the starting eleven.