Arsenal Team News: Wenger Offers Update On Koscielny, Ramsey, Wilshere + More

Arsenal entertain West Ham at the Emirates on Tuesday night just 72 hours after our gruelling FA Cup semi final win over Wigan at Wembley.

Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger has been speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday morning and gave Arsenal.com a team news and injury update with the latest on the fitness of Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Lukas Podolski, Nacho Monreal and Aaron Ramsey.

Understandably, the Wigan game has taken a lot out of the players and Arsene confirmed that Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain are both suffering from fatigue and are doubts to face the Hammers. Rambo has only just returned from almost four months out and played over 100 minutes on Saturday, so it’s likely he won’t be risked from the start again tomorrow, and the same can be said of The Ox as he was carrying a knock in the weekend.

The boss also revealed that Koscielny and Rosicky will face late fitness tests today to see if they can return to the squad, while Podolski is expected to shake off a minor muscular problem and Monreal is a doubt after he was forced off midway through the second half with a dead leg.

There was also the latest on Jack Wilshere’s recovery, which Arsene says is going well and confirmed the midfielder is due to start jogging this week as he steps up his recovery from a fractured foot.

Here is what the boss told the clubs website:

on the team news…

I cannot give you complete team news because many of them have to be checked today. We have plenty of uncertainties for muscular problems and fatigue. Who could be available who was not in the squad on Saturday? Maybe Rosicky and Koscielny – we’ll have to test him definitely today. There are plenty of uncertainties so I have to make up my mind late on.

on the main uncertainties…

The main uncertainties are Monreal who had to come off with a dead leg. Podolski had a little [muscle] problem but I think he will be alright. Then there is Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ramsey (both muscle tightness). They are the main problems.

on Koscielny’s possible return…

Koscielny will be tested today and I have to decide after training if I take the risk or not to start him tomorrow.

on Jack Wilshere…

Jack should start to jog this week. It is all going well, but we have to monitor him now day by day. I think the next three weeks will be very important for him.

It’s going to be a tough game tomorrow as the players are going to be feeling the effects of Saturday’s cup win. Hopefully Rosicky and Koscielny are passed fit as we could certainly do with some extra options as Wenger is going to have little choice but to mix things up.

Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Serge Gnabry and Abou Diaby remain unavailable while Mathieu Flamini serves the second of his two-game ban, so our options to make changes are limited at present,  but Carl Jenkinson, Olivier Giroud, Wojciech Szczesny and Kim Kallstrom are all in-line to start.

What team would you start against West Ham? Leave your suggestions below.