Friday, March 29, 2024

Notable absentees but Lacazette makes Arsenal’s Oz squad

Alexandre Lacazette has been included in Arsenal’s 25-man squad for the tour of Australia and China.

The France international and fellow new boy Sead Kolasinac will likely make their debuts for the Gunners in Sydney later this week as Arsene Wenger’s men step up their pre-season preparations.

There were notable absentees from the touring squad with available players likes of Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy, Wojciech Szczesny, Lucas Perez and Carl Jenkinson all left at home. It looks increasingly likely that all five will be playing their football elsewhere this season.

Alexis, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin miss out having been on international duty until recently. Joel Campbell is at the Gold Cup with Costa Rica while Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere are continuing their rehabilitation in the gym.

Olivier Giroud, heavily linked with Everton, West Ham and Marseille, is on the plane and so are Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It’s a long journey to Sydney, perhaps we can force them to sign new deals while they are suffering from jetlag?

Youngsters Cohen Bramall, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Donyell Malen, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock (brother of recently departed Chris) have also travelled. Surprisingly, Chuba Akpom was not selected.

After the jaunt Down Under, Arsenal will travel to Shanghai and Beijing for matches with Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Full squad

Petr Cech (GK)
Emi Martinez (GK)
David Ospina (GK)
Krystian Bielik
Cohen Bramall
Francis Coquelin
Mohamed Elneny
Olivier Giroud
Alex Iwobi
Sead Kolasinac
Laurent Koscielny
Alexandre Lacazette
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Donyell Malen
Per Mertesacker
Nacho Monreal
Reiss Nelson
Eddie Nketiah
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Mesut Ozil
Aaron Ramsey
Theo Walcott
Danny Welbeck
Joe Willock
Granit Xhaka

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Moses

Also missing Lucas!! It’s a shame he’s going to leave.

dennis

And The Jeff

Fabio Tintin

Injured.

Mpls

Is he out injured? New club website is still Sanskrit to me. Can’t find anything.

Dr Zebra

And Zelalem!

Joe bloggo

He’s got the acl problem atm

Gooooooooonnnnaaaaaaaaa

The question is, does this squad confirm Wenger’s plans to stick to a back three next season? The only person that could play in that position is maitland-niles.

Gooooooooonnnnaaaaaaaaa

I meant the only person that could play as a right back is Maitland-Niles, and he’s not really a right back.

Corona X

What about the Ox?

Gooooooooonnnnaaaaaaaaa

The Ox would only play as right wing back in a back three, which is sort of my point, and I guess for the trip niles would be his cover/the second rwb

Riku

Think we should be playing jenkinson, particular what with Europa league , play him on Thursdays and hector on Sunday’s. Jenkinson played very well on loan at West Ham and has been selected for a england squad. Also played well in champ league couple of season back when bacary Sagan injuried.

Rooks

100% Good squad player and true arsenal fan.

Raja

Where’s Rob Holding?

Tasmanian Jesus

Yes, but both him and Bielik were there, and didnt play (as far as I saw).
Yet Bielik is on the plane?
A bit odd.

Anyway, any reason the Jeff is not there?

ILovetheArse

Birmingham’s last game was 7th May (when Bielek came on as a sub), whilst Holding’s was the FA cup final 3 weeks later. Maybe they felt that Bielik has had enough rest despite playing at the Euros??? Also if he is going back on loan to the championship I think from memory they normally start the season a week earlier than the premiership

Hi-brid

“Alexis, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin miss out having been on international duty until recently.”

Ziich

No mention of Gabrie!! I know he is injured but if Debuchy can get a mention in this article then so should Gabriel!!

A different George

I really liked Gabriel happily hopping around on crutches and taking pictures after the FA Cup win.

Magneto

As far as I am aware he is also recovering from injury, and isn’t due back until at least August.

Tommi

Where’s the Jeff??

Magneto

There’s a possibility that he may be going out on loan, so perhaps he’s sorting that out.

PFo

Would be a good move for him if so, I think.

noname

hes injured

Tago Mago

Not fully fit, according to Jeorge Bird.

https://twitter.com/jeorgebird/status/884185289304006656

Dino

Ox keeps posting in insta from LA.. is he really travelling with the squad?

zeq92

Apparently he is. Watch his most recent insta-stories.

TR7 > CR7

Suggests Theo and Giroud departures aren’t imminent anyway.

SizC

and Ospina

Shonky

Quite telling that Alexis, Ox and Ozil all have one year left….and no one wants Ozil.
Him not signing is going under the radar, big time.
I bet he’s well happy having the others take the heat.
He’ll leave for free.

Xhaka\'s Left Peg

Rather than going under the radar, I think its probably fairer to say he doesn’t have a cunty agent who makes as much noise as possible for his own personable gain in any negotiation. Out of the three, I’d expect him to sign on personally.

Heavenly Chapecoense

Wenger taught other teams you only get Ozil at 11:00 PM on transfer deadline day.

Godfrey Twatsloch

Is it perhaps time this shonky troll cunt got binned from Arseblog soon? You know based on him having nothing but trolly things to say all the time.

Gooner

Just ignore him if it bothers you, it’s not offensive, just ignorant

Godfrey Twatsloch

Offensively ignorant.

Merson\'s grin

While we are discussing ignorant trolls….Where has Fat Gooner gone? I miss his ‘glass half empty’ whining posts.

Godfrey Twatsloch

FG wines like hell and rarely does see the positive in anything but he knows football and displays worthwhile analysis at times. Wank stain above just trolls. Every post is a hand grenade thrown in before shutting the door.

Ausdrexler

Looking forward to the games.
Just excited to see The Arsenal in the flesh. Even if its a 1/2 strength team.

MboopXhacaLaca

I actually feel like this is one of the strongest pre-season teams we’ve fielded in the last few years

bazza_wicks

will be great to see the new boys get there outings and spreading more gooner love through out Aussie and China “come on you reds”

Bjorgvin

It´s going to be interesting to see the progress of Maitland-Niles, Nelson and Bielik.

Clins

Bielk will get ample minutes with the team he just joined on loan , so I hear. It’d be interesting to see how much playing time will Maitland Niles and nelson see. They are going to stay with the first team this season. Hope they follow the lead of holding , iwobi and have a breakthrough season.

The Ghost of Peter Storey

Will we have a call-back option in place this time for our inevitable injury crisis in January?

Copelandão

Ospina travelling too instead of say Matt Macey (who is very tall, as we must always say).

Fuhgedaboudit l

Can’t believe Szczesny is not staying at Arsenal. Just seems crazy to me he is not being brought back home. WTH!

Martin

I totally agree

Reality check

Szczesny snr has a big mouth.. doesn’t sit well with Wenger..

Heavely Chapecoense

You can’t get two totally nut like Lehmann and Szczesny around whatever the position they hold in the club.
#BringBackOurSzczesny hashtag.

Faisal Narrage

“Surprisingly, Chuba Akpom”

Whats do surprising about it?

LyonSL

Gibbs and Jenkinson born gunners. Good luck!
Debuchy… well injuries mostly
Perez and Szczesny I really wish they would stay, but that’s how it is in the world of football.
Campbell still has a few years on his contract, he will stay probably (I wish).
Jeff -> loan?
Akpom and Toral ? well they could still make it somewhere
I think Ozil and Ox will stay and Jack should be sold (when he is still worth something).

Nelson

Toral played for the u23 the other day not that really answers the question but info none the less

The Limp Bar

Where’s the Jeff??

DontForget

Man, Koscielny and Kolasinac are a mouthful of a left side of defense.

Ivan182

And Gabriel?

Malcolm

Interesting not a single rightback in the squad. I wonder who is going to plqy there

allezkev

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
At a push Francis Coquelin.

Stayn

Only 2 established CBs
Our back 3 for this tour is probably set to Bielik Per Nacho

Pires4life

Kos is in the squad.

Berlingoon

I heard this Koscielny guy is quite good in defending too.

The Ghost of Peter Storey

When he can stay on the pitch. A great defender but I’m worried that he gets too many red cards. Maybe it’s a sign that he lacks a little bit of pace and/or positional sense and/or concentration. There has to be a reason why someone as good as him attracts so many red cards.

Bon Jello

Sorry to be ‘that guy’ but… https://www.premierleague.com/players/4030/Laurent-Koscielny/stats 5 red cards in 213 games is less than one a season. Which is pretty reasonable for his ‘put out the fires’ type of CB role, who does often have to throw himself into last ditch challenges with little time to assess their impact. I think the only issue with Kos (barring injuries) is there’s been way too much weight of expectation on him, and very occasionally he buckles under pressure in big games as he lacks a top drawer partner. Per used to be his ideal partner but can he do that… Read more »

Bon Jello

*I’m not saying 5 red cards is a good record, by the way, certainly needs some work. But that a bit of security around him may prevent such reckless actions.

Berlingoon

In his last 6 league campaigns he was sent off 3 times. 2 straight reds and one after 2 yellows. Really sounds like we got a problem here. Should sell him immediately!

TweakinGooner

Sell kos? are you on fucking crack?

Ididn\'tSeeIt

You didn’t smell the sacarsm?

Berlingoon

Someone should have told me that you have to mark sarcasm here ?

Rashid

Good luck

Dino

Any reason why jeff reine adelaide is missing from the tour??? Concerning…..

Rochester

Asked and answered, try reading some earlier comments

SSGooner

Gonna watch them this Saturday. Can’t wait!

originalniger

what do you think replacing Alexis with Lamer and mahrez ?

Duritz

That’s the thing though… you need 2 to replace him…

Kareem Mohamed

Will they allow us to field both?
(a total of 12)
:p

Berlingoon

I think we have replaced Alexis with Lacazette and will buy either Lemar or Mahrez to replace the OX.
I’m sad to see both go, even more so the Ox tbh, but at least we have brought in quality. If we can also get a Santi type of player I would consider this a very successful transfer window. Even considering the departures.

Berlingoon

Kolasinac looks really exciting too. Can wait to see him bodycheck the likes of Hazard or Sane. ?

Assistantref

Kolasinac and Holding can do a bad cop, bad cop thing next season.

#LacaNewSigning

I agree with you. Personally, i think we couldn’t make top 4 last season largely because of Santi’s injury. I also think his position is a key area we need to strengthen but it seems no one is considering that.

Assistantref

I am suspicious of this player named Lamer. Not exaclty “Best” is it?

Anthony

Looks like we’re pushing very hard to land Lemar if the papers are to be believed. I still think Chamberlain will stay, I think it comes down to what assurances over playing time we give him – though in truth, his injury record and periodic loss of form have played a part in his relative bit-part role in the side. Alexis, I can see him staying, though will most likely walk out he door at the end of the season on a free somewhere. Ozil, given his recent comments, he’s staying, but for how long? It might be that here… Read more »

JDizzle

I think Chambo will move on if he gets the chance. He made 47 appearances last season in all competitions so playing time can’t be a sticking point. His determination to play in the centre is more likely going to be his excuse to move on. Annoying seeing as he has had far better performances on the wing.

therealafb

No mention of Sanchez? Not in the squad, no reasoning as to why not?

…or is it too obvious?

Kareem Mohamed

Just finished playing confess cup.
the guy needs to rest.
but does Sanchez ever really rest?
:p

Merlin\'s Panini

I guess that’s it for Chuba then. If you’re around his age and haven’t really been involved that usually signals your time is up.
Zelalem is also missing there but I think he’s injured?

Nvg24

Isn’t Ramsey also in the last year of his contract?

not so fed up

WHAT!!! No signings? How rude lol can you tell I’m bored?

Badaab

Xhaka was able to make it so soon after his wedding- surely the u21 players could have made it too.

Kareem Mohamed

No thanks.
Don’t want to overwork them.

I already saw what haopened to Wilshere
People might blame his body, which might have some issues…but he played a lot in those first 2 years or so.
Too much!

Ste

The very first thing is a selfie. FFS.

Terry Neil\'s bald patch

What’s happened to Nacho Monreal ? One of our most consistent players in the last couple of years

Terry Neil\'s bald patch

Ooops noticed the Nacho man on that list

Santori

Nothing out of the ordinary. 1) Gone Jenkinson, Debuchy, Gibbs, Perez, Campbell as expected. 2) Jack will be difficult to move (injury), Walcott won’t sell unless to a top six club in England (wages), Elneny is mediocre and will be content hovering on our periphery bc there will be little interest for him. 3) Giroud we should keep. He knows we can accomodate both him and Lacazette bc the latter can also play from wide (or narrow in 3-4-3)if need be (We don’t have as many options as France). Besides, if anything, Welbeck is the spare man if he doesn’t… Read more »

not so fed up

Love your description of liverbore mwhahahaha

Santori

David Ospina has made the plane.

Tony

So we aren’t getting rid of Theo, please someone buy him and take the high wages off of our hands.

Danny peters

Where is the jeff?
Adelaide perhaps 🙁

Wendy Agnew

Ozil said he was looking forward to going to Australia so why did he ignore their fans at the airport?

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