Arsenal
Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Fresh Double Injury Blow + Welbeck Update
Arsene Wenger confirmed he has two fresh injury doubts ahead of this weekends clash with Brighton while he also gave an update on the fitness of Danny Welbeck.
Arsenal travel to the Amex Stadium on Sunday for their FA Cup fourth round clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Ahead of the game, boss Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the media this morning at his pre-match press conference and gave a team news and injury update.
Unfortunately, Wenger revealed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a major doubt after picking up a groin problem. The midfielder will have a late fitness test but the boss isn’t confident he’ll be passed fit.
Young full-back Hector Bellerin is also a doubt with a minor ankle injury but Wenger hopes the Spaniard will pass his late fitness test to be available to start at right-back this weekend.
The Frenchman also gave an update on the fitness of Danny Welbeck and sadly the striker is once again going to miss out with a troublesome thigh injury. Welbeck last featured during the 2-1 win over West Ham on Boxing Day but has struggled to shake-off a thigh problem and is still two games away from being back in contention.
However, there was some positive news to come out of the team news update as Serge Gnabry is back in full training after recovering from a long-term injury but Arsene confirmed he’ll need to play some games for the Under-21’s before he’s considered for the first team.
Wenger told reporters this morning:
“There is some uncertainty about Chamberlain. He has an inflammation of the groin,”
“Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellerin will both have tests today, and Bellerin should hopefully be available. Oxlade-Chamberlain is less certain.”
“Danny [Welbeck] hasn’t returned to training and needs two more games to be back again. He’s not back in full training yet.
“Serge [Gnabry] is back in full training but he needs games in the the U21s to regain full fitness.”
Hopefully Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury is nothing too serious but I expect Theo Walcott would have started this weekend in any case.
If Bellerin is ruled out then it may be more of a problem though as it will mean Calum Chambers will need to start at right-back. Ideally he’d start in the middle to give Laurent Koscielny a rest, so hopefully Bellerin is passed fit.
Jack Wilshere, Mathieu Debuchy and Mikel Arteta are still unavailable but Mesut Ozil is in line to start his first game in over three months.
