Arsene Wenger takes his side to the final Premier League game of the season on Sunday afternoon with a view of completing their double over West Bromwich Albion to gain some momentum before the Wembley showdown. Speaking to the press, he gave updates on his injury-laden players and hinted about his lineup for the Aston Villa game later this month.
The French manager had some good news from a rather frustrating stalemate against Sunderland as no player of his twisted his ankle or had a broken nose. However, he admitted that he had a few worn-out legs at the whistle at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.
a We have no basic injuries from our last game. We had a few jaded legs maybe at the end of the game but wea ll see how everybody recovers for Sunday.
a Do we have anybody back for Sunday? Danny Welbeck no, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back in full training today [Friday], and Mathieu Debuchy as well. They might be a bit short.a
The Arsenal manager revealed that Danny Welbeck, who last played for the Gunners about a month ago, might not make it to the starting line-up against the Baggies thanks to his knee problem. He also predicted that the former Manchester United winger may lose out on a national call-up in the event of failing to prove his fitness before the FA Cup final.
a He had a little knee problem and will go out today for the first time. We have to wait for the response to that to know if he responds in a positive way. He could be fit very quickly.
a If he is not available for the FA Cup final, I cana t see him being competitive enough for England.a
Arsene Wenger has been reluctant to make changes to his team as of late and he announced that he might make a couple of changes to the team that he started against Sunderland. Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky and the likes may be expected to be a part of the starting eleven, but given the fact that the FA Cup final is just around the corner, it would not be a shocker, if they are benched yet again.
a I might rest one or two maybe but overall I believe that the team will be similar to the team that played on Wednesday night.a