Arsenal have confirmed that Nacho Monreal, Sead Kolasinac, Hector Bellerin and Sokratis are being assessed ahead of tomorrow’s match with Liverpool with the medical team seemingly unable / unwilling to definitively rule out the injured foursome.
Monreal and Kolasinac continue to nurse hamstring problems picked up in training, while Bellerin’s thigh issue, which forced him off at half time of last weekend’s match with Crystal Palace, is undergoing further rehab.
Meanwhile, Sokratis, who looked to have recovered from an ankle injury problem sustained on international duty, is again being looked at.
The Gunners will definitely be without Matteo Guendouzi, suspended following his mid-week red card against Blackpool, Mohamed Elneny, Laurent Koscielny and Dinos Mavropanos.
In all likelihood we could line up with a back four of Xhaka, Holding, Mustafi and Lichtsteiner with Ramsey and Torreira sitting deep in midfield.
We’ll see, Perhaps Unai Emery will share more details in his pre-game press conference this afternoon.
Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has called on Mesut Ozil to deliver more show-stopping performances for Arsenal after his ‘incredible’ man-of-the-match showing against Leicester.
The German earned plaudits for his involvement in all three goals when the Gunners beat the Foxes 3-1 in October, scoring the equaliser, making the ‘best ball’ of the season in the build-up to the second and assisting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the killer third.
Even Ozil’s critics, of which there are many, were left purring. His captain now wants him to repeat the trick consistently.
“Mesut’s deserved all the plaudits he got after his performance against the Foxes,” said the Frenchman.
“He was incredible. His goal bailed us out before the break and then his pass for Hector on our second goal is the best ball you will see all season. And he added an assist for Auba after a great dummy and understanding with [Alexandre] Laca[zette].
“When Mesut is in this form, he is unstoppable and makes us win. He has extraordinary qualities. There are not many players like him in the world right now capable of producing a pass the like for Hector, beating four opposition players with just one ball.
“His display on that night will stay in people’s minds for a very long time. It is a case of ‘I was there when Ozil had that performance against Leicester.’
“However, he needs to be at this level as much as possible this season. Great players are the ones playing at their best the whole season.”
Ozil followed his performance at Leicester with an ineffective showing against Crystal Palace which led to Unai Emery substituting him in the second half. The player was not impressed and reacted by throwing his gloves on the floor in annoyance.
He has a chance to get back on track tomorrow night when the Gunners take on Liverpool at the Emirates; their sternest test since the defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea in August.
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