Team news: Arsenal confirm double injury blow ahead of Southampton clash

Arsenal have confirmed a double injury blow ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Southampton at the Emirates Stadium.

Domestic football returns after the international break and Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways after losing 2-0 to Leicester City two weeks ago but the Gunners will be without Dani Ceballos for the visit of Southampton this weekend.

The Spaniard suffered a hamstring injury during the second half of Arsenal’s Europa League draw with Vitoria on November 6th and missed the trip to the King Power Stadium three days later.

Unai Emery had hoped the injury was only a minor one but it’s proven to be far more serious than first thought as Arsenal have now confirmed Ceballos has been ruled out until the middle of December.

In a double concern for Emery, the club have also revealed that Sead Kolasinac is a doubt for the clash with Southampton on Saturday after picking up a hamstring injury during the international break.

Kolasinac played the full ninety minutes during Bosnia’s defeat to Italy last Friday night but sat out the subsequent win over Liechtenstein after seemingly suffering a hamstring issue so it remains to be seen whether he’ll be fit to face the Saints this weekend.

A team news update on Arsenal.com said:

Dani Ceballos
Left hamstring. Sustained during the Vitoria SC (a) match on November 6. Aiming to return to full training mid-December.

Sead Kolasinac
Left hamstring. Returned from international duty with tight left hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Saturday’s match.

Ceballos is now set to miss at least five games against Southampton, Frankfurt, Norwich, Brighton and West Ham over the coming weeks. Depending on how his recovery goes, the Spanish international could make his return against Standard Liege on December 12th but Emery will be desperate to have him available for the visit of Man City three days later.

Arsenal have concerns elsewhere as the boss also confirmed at his press conference this afternoon that Nicolas Pepe didn’t train today after arriving back late from international duty while Rob Holding and Bukayo Saka also missed training due to minor knocks.

Pepe will resume first team training tomorrow so he should be available to face Southampton but it remains to be seen whether Holding or Saka will be passed fit this weekend so Emery has.