Arsene Wenger has revealed that five players could miss out on the crunch clash against Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday
Kieran Gibbs, Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott, Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal are all doubts for the North London Derby this Sunday, according to Arsene Wenger.
Santi Cazorla, who has been missing since the game against Ludogorets Razgrad on 19th October with a thigh injury, is a major doubt for the game as he has not trained all week.
Speaking about the Spanish midfielder, Wenger had this to say :
“He’ll try and practice today and we’ll go from there.”
On the rest of the players, Wenger was slightly more hopeful :
“Gibbs has been touched on his shoulders. We’ll see how he reacts today. Bellerin could have played in Bulgaria. I think he should be alright,” he said.
“Nacho has tests today and tomorrow, then we will decide. The closest to coming back looks to be Walcott. He has a test today.”
The news about Cazorla comes as a big blow to Arsenal, who have missed him in midfield. Many bemoaned the loss of Cazorla as one of the key factors in the draw against Middlesbrough.
Walcott has also been in fantastic form this season, with 8 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions. Bellerin and Monreal have also been key to Arsenal’s 14-match unbeaten run, which they will be determined to continue against their bitter rivals.
The return of Bellerin and Walcott does seem likely, though, and this will be welcome news to Gunners everywhere. While Arsenal are on a 14 match unbeaten run in all competitions, Tottenham remain the only side unbeaten in the Premier League, and Wenger will need all the firepower he has at his disposal to try and find a way past Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Arsenal are also coming off the back of a dramatic 3-2 victory over Ludogorets, while Tottenham were defeated 1-0 last night by Bayern Leverkusen. The momentum is clearly on the side of Wenger’s men, and he will be hoping they can maintain that momentum against Spurs on Sunday.
