Arsenal have provided a full team news and injury update ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup third round clash with Blackpool and Unai Emery has a number of concerns to deal with.
The boss has had to cope with a mounting injury list in recent weeks and the fitness of Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin will need to be assessed ahead of Saturday evening’s game.
Ozil has missed the last two matches due to a knee injury that he picked up in training ahead of the defeat at Liverpool late last month and the German playmaker remains a doubt to face Blackpool this weekend.
Mustafi aggravated a hamstring injury during our win over Fulham on Tuesday afternoon and the centre-back will need to be assessed by medical staff before his availability this weekend is determined.
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Monreal has been struggling to overcome a niggling hamstring injury that’s hampered him for two months while Bellerin is also nursing a calf problem and the full-backs are doubtful for the trip to Blackpool on Saturday.
However, Emery has received some positive news with young defender Dinos Mavropanos returning to full training after overcoming a groin injury but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be fit enough to feature in the FA Cup.
Arsenal-Mesut-Ozil-2018
Emile Smith Rowe is expected to return to full training in the next fortnight as he bids to recover from a hip injury while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is due back at some point in February after fracturing his foot last month.
With Rob Holding recovering from a serious knee injury and Danny Welbeck facing a long road to recovery from a broken ankle, Emery could be without nine players for Saturday’s clash with Blackpool.
An on Arsenal.com read:
Mesut Ozil
Left knee. Being assessed ahead of Blackpool (a) on Saturday, January 5.
Shkodran Mustafi
Right hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Blackpool (a) on Saturday, January 5.
Nacho Monreal
Right hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Blackpool (a) on Saturday, January 5.
Hector Bellerin
Left calf. Being assessed ahead of Blackpool (a) on Saturday, January 5.
Dinos Mavropanos
Groin injury. Being integrated back into full training.
Emile Smith Rowe
Right hip. Expected to return to full training in two weeks.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Right foot. Fractured metatarsal. Expected to return to full training in February.
Rob Holding
Left knee. Recovering after surgery.
Danny Welbeck
Right ankle. Recovering after surgery.
I don’t think the club will rush the likes of Ozil, Bellerin or Monreal back for the Blackpool game so they are likely to be given more time to recover for the Premier League trip to West Ham next weekend.
Emery is expected to rotate his squad this weekend with the likes of Petr Cech, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Carl Jenkinson, Mohamed Elneny and Aaron Ramsey pushing for recalls.
