Arsenal Team News: Wenger Offers Update On 5 Injury Doubts Ahead Of Tottenham

Arsenal will be looking to maintain their excellent recent form when they entertain North London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.

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

The Gunners boss revealed that he has several fitness doubts for the visit of Spurs with as many as five key players all facing late tests to see if they’ll be available for the NLD.

The latest concern is Kieran Gibbs with the England international picking up a shoulder problem during Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Ludogorets in the group stages of the Champions League.

Gibbs has been deputising for Nacho Monreal at left-back in recent games and with the Spaniard also facing a late fitness test on his thigh injury, Arsenal are sweating on their two left-backs ahead of Sunday.

Santi Cazorla also remains a doubt as he continues to recover from an achilles injury that’s kept him out for the last four matches in all competitions. The midfielder will return to training today but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be passed fit to take on Tottenham.

There was some positive news from Wenger’s update as he suggested that Theo Walcott should return this weekend after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury.

Hector Bellerin is also expected to come back in to the side after missing the midweek win over Ludogorets with a minor injury which he picked up in training earlier this week.

Wenger told Arsenal.com:

on the team news…
We have still some uncertainties at the moment because Kieran Gibbs has been touched on his shoulder and I don’t know how will respond to that. I will see today [Thursday]. After, the players who did not travel like Cazorla, Monreal, Walcott – there is still some uncertainty today. The closest to coming back looks to be Walcott. We will have a test with him.

on Bellerin…
Hector has a test. I left him behind [in midweek] because I was cautious with him. We could have basically forced the issue, he could have played maybe in Bulgaria but he should be alright [for Sunday].

on Nacho…
He has tests today and tomorrow and then we will decide.

on Cazorla…
He is similar, he has not practised yet – he will try to go out today and we will see where we go from there. He is a doubt, yes.

So it looks like the Arsenal coaches are going to be busy over the coming days conducting several fitness tests but Per Mertesacker, Danny Welbeck and Lucas Perez are all certain to miss the Spurs game with long-term injuries.