Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Duo Will Miss Hull + 2 More Doubtful

Arsenal will look to build on last weeks dramatic Premier League win over Southampton when we take on Hull City at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s given Arsenal.com a team news and injury update.

Unfortunately the boss has confirmed that Aaron Ramsey is still not available for selection and misses the trip to the North East as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

Ramsey suffered the injury during our 4-3 defeat to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season and it was initially hoped he would be back in time to face Southampton after the international break earlier this month.

However, the Welsh international was once again ruled out of the game last weekend as well as our Champions League draw at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night and the boss says he’s still not fit enough to make his comeback against Hull while the 25-year-old is also expected to sit out the EFL Cup clash at Nottingham Forest next Tuesday.

In a double blow, Gabriel has also been ruled out of the Hull game this weekend but the Brazilian centre-back could be back in the squad for the League Cup next week after recovering from an ankle injury.

The boss also revealed that Theo Walcott will face a late fitness test after he missed the PSG game with a minor knee injury while Olivier Giroud is also a doubt for the Hull clash after picking up a toe injury on Tuesday night.

Both players have been able to take part in training this afternoon but Wenger will make a late decision over their involvement at the KCOM Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

So we’ll have to wait and see whether Walcott or Giroud will play this weekend but one player who will certainly be involved is Petr Cech as Wenger confirmed that he’ll return in goal after being left out in favour of David Ospina against PSG.

Wenger told the clubs website:

on the team news…
Walcott could be back in the squad, I have to check how well he came out of the session today. I haven’t spoken with the medical people yet. Ramsey is of course still out. Gabriel is back in normal training, I don’t think he will be included but he might play on Tuesday night. The injury situation is not bad at the moment.

on Ramsey…
I hoped [he would be back] but he is not ready.

on whether he could make the Forest game…
It will come too early I think. We are cautious with him because I do not want any setback with his hamstring. At the moment, Tuesday is too early for him.

on if he start will Cech…
Cech will be back, yes.

on if Olivier Giroud will start…
Olivier Giroud got a little knock on Tuesday night. I have to check if he is fit and available.

on what the problem was…
His big toe.

Arsenal head in to the weekend action off the back of consecutive Premier League victories over Watford and Hull so the boys will be desperate to make it a hat-trick of wins to propel us further up the table.