Arsenal
Arsenal Team News: Wenger Offers Update On Koscielny, The Ox, Gibbs + More…
Arsenal welcome Swansea City to the Emirates on Tuesday night. Here’s an injury update from Arsene Wenger on Koscielny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gibbs and more.
The Arsenal players have the chance to put Saturday’s humiliating 6-0 thrashing to Chelsea firmly behind them when we take on Swansea City at the Emirates tomorrow night.
Although Arsene Wenger has cancelled his pre-match press conference today, he has given Arsenal.com a team news and injury update.
Unfortunately Laurent Koscielny has been ruled out of the game with a calf injury. The Frenchman was replaced at half-time on Saturday and it appears he picked up a knock during the disastrous first half and is set to have a scan on Monday afternoon to determine the full extent of the injury.
In Koscielny’s absence, youngster Hector Bellerin has been promoted from the under-21’s and will be in the squad against the Swans, although I suspect Thomas Vermaelen will be the one to come in alongside Per Mertesacker at the back.
Wenger also confirmed that he expects Kieran Gibbs to be available with his wrongful dismissal against Chelsea set to be overturned by the FA today, but we’ll have to wait and see what the FA rule regarding Oxlade-Chamberlain’s situation.
The midfielder handled Eden Hazard’s shot in the area on Saturday but the club have appealed the red card that referee Andrew Mariner handed out for the incident, as the Belgian’s shot was going off-target so The Ox wasn’t therefore denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Whether the FA see it that way remains to be seen, but we should find out either way this afternoon.
Here’s what the boss told the club website:
on the team news…
We have lost Laurent Koscielny for Tuesday’s game with a calf problem. I don’t know how long he will be out for. He has a scan today [Monday]. Everyone else should be available.
on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain…
There is a question mark about Chamberlain. The situation over his suspension will be decided today. After that I will make a decision. At the moment he is in the squad. Right now only Koscielny is out of the squad and he has been replaced by Hector Bellerin. We expected Kieran Gibbs’ suspension to be overturned.
Hopefully Koscielny’s injury isn’t found to be serious as it will be a huge blow to lose him for any length of time. He joins Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby in missing the Swansea game through injury.
What team would you like to see Wenger play this weekend? Should he ring the changes after the Chelsea loss? Or give the players a chance to redeem themselves?
