Arsene Wenger says Francis Coquelin will miss next Sunday’s Community Shield showdown with Chelsea after injuring ankle ligaments in yesterday’s 5-2 win over Benfica.
The Frenchman required treatment midway through the first half and initially stayed on the pitch to assist Theo Walcott but was substituted before the game restarted.
“He looks like he has a scan tomorrow and I don’t think he will be available for the weekend,” revealed Wenger after today’s defeat to Sevilla.
“He doesn’t look bad, but he will not be available. [It is an] ankle problem, ligament.”
The boss also revealed that Kieran Gibbs has been struggling with illness this week but refused to say for sure that the left-back will still be at the club at the end of the transfer window.
Shkodran Mustafi confirmed on social media that he returned to training at London Colney today but the boss thinks next weekend’s trip to Wembley will come too soon for the German.
So this for the community shield?
Bellerin Holding BFG Kos Kolasinac
Ramsey Xhaka
Ozil Ox
Lacazette
Kos will be suspended I think
Oh Yeah. Monreal in his spot I suppose.
Not for Community Shield. It is only regarded as a friendly match and Kos will be suspended for first 2 Premiership matches.
Nope, it counts.
Accuse me of being old fashioned but I think we should play a goalkeeper, if only out of convention.
Last season Conte made the 3-4-3 fashionable again. This season Wenger’s trying to lead the way with a controversial 5-4-3 formation. It might be a gamble, but if it catches on, he’ll be called a tactical genius.
Including a starting twelve, I see.
Ha! Yeah, Cech is a given.
Shay is a given not Petr
I think I’d rather have Ox in RWB than Bellerin. And surely Girond deserves the start?
Yea let’s spend £50m on a striker and then start dear old giroud instead. Makes sense to me, plus he’s handsome.
IMO if laca gets enough games this season, he’ll score more than giroud has in any season for us.
I would like to see:
Cech
BFG Kos Monreal
Bellerin Xhaka Ramsey Kolasinac
Ozil Lacazette Welbeck
Ox, Giroud and Feo as impact subs.
Is Kos banned? I know he has suspension but can it be used up in Community Shield?
No it’s only classified as a friendly
Iwobi starts above Ox. And Ox starts above Bellerin on the righr and based on form I would play the first team that played benfica with slight Changes like Giroud for Lacazette maybe but definitely Ox for Nelson and Per for Elneny in defense Elneny in midfield kos for Maitland that’s it. So it’ll be holding/chambers Per/kos and Kos/monreal then Ox Elneny xhaka kolasinac then ozil Laca/Giroud Iwobi
Bellerin looked quite rusty yesterday… I think the ox should get a chance ahead of him.
Hope we do better against Chelsea than the friendly. We need a boost.
I’d take the L if it means we get the W in the league.
We are going to need BOTH for start of season.
Coquelin is the only other player to circulate through Granit and Ramsey.
Mustafi needs to go into the back 3, no more Elneny experiment nonsense.
I think we have several options for 3-4-3 : Particularly Wenger seems to be toying between two sets up top Either – …………………………Giroud…………………………….. ……………Iwobi…………………….Walcott……………. OR ………………………..Lacazette………………………….. …………..Welbeck………………….Ozil………………… I think Ozil will feature in either pick so Walcott and Welbeck will flirt in and out. Personally feel if/when Alexis is sold, we will benefit from someone to replace his “unpredictability” like say a Mahrez (not saying its him we need to go for but that sort of technicality) Midfield lacks options. We are with Ramsey-Granit as first choice and Coquelin rotating. Quite obviously we are light. NOT quite sure why Wenger… Read more »
Coquelin has been better in the 3-4-3. In a 42-3-1, he needs the right partner to cover as he tends to commit himself into tackles.
Neither Ramsey nor Granit are accomplished tacklers which is why 3-4-3 works for them too.
Im not so sure 343 does work for them, we haven’t played enough games with it yet to know for sure. One of the key requirements of 343 is to cover the ‘gaps’ if one of wing backs get caught high up the pitch and we are quickly countered. RB/LB gaps can be covered by the CB’s shuffling across and one becoming a temporary full back. But you sometimes need to fill the RM/LM gaps and in that scenario it really helps to have a defensive midfielder with the ‘legs’ to get across there quickly. Chelsea have 2 players that… Read more »
Great comment, thank you for that.
This is what I’ve been thinking for quite a while – I see Xhaka as the Xabi Alonso type. You have to tailor the system to his strenghts, not throw him in and hope for the best. As Alonso needs his Vidal, Xhaka needs his someone – and that’s the player you’re mentioning. Someone with “the legs,” defensive discipline and a good tackle.
When you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense. I agree having that type of player would also help to get the best out of xhaka
What a load of twat about the Community Shield………. Get a life people