Arsenal Pre-Spurs Team News: Wenger Offers Update On Walcott, Flamini + More

Arsenal entertain North London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates on Saturday evening. Here, Gooner Mac brings us the latest team news.

Ahead of this weekends clash with Spurs, Arsene Wenger has given Arsenal.com an injury and team news update including the latest on Mathieu Flamini, Nacho Monreal and Theo Walcott.

The good news is that the boss confirmed Flamini is likely to return to the squad after missing the last two games with a dead leg that he picked up in training just before last weekends trip to Aston Villa.

However, Monreal is still not in contention as he continues to nurse a troublesome back injury so Kieran Gibbs will start at left back after being rested for our League Cup defeat to Southampton on Tuesday.

There were suggestions earlier this month that Walcott could make a shock return for the visit of Spurs, but Wenger has confirmed the attacker is still unavailable and joins long-term injury victims Matheiu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud on the sidelines.

Here’s what the boss told the clubs website:

on the team news…

The only difference compared to Villa and Southampton is that Mathieu Flamini might be available again. He had a dead leg. I feel he should be back.

on the rest of the squad…

Everyone else is similar to where they were. Monreal is not back yet. The likes of Giroud, Debuchy and Walcott are unavailable.

Wenger is expected to make wholesale changes from the side that lost on Tuesday with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck all going to be fresh following their rest in midweek.

Despite Flamini’s return to fitness, Mikel Arteta is likely to start in midfield after the skipper was also left out against the Saints.