Unai Emery has revealed that Rob Holding and Bukayo Saka are slight doubts for Saturday’s game with Southampton.
Neither player trained today due to small problems picked up during the international break. Nicolas Pepe, who returned last night from international duty with Ivory Coast, also missed training today but should take part tomorrow.
A tight hamstring could also force Sead Kolasinac to sit out this weekend’s action. The Bosnian missed his side’s 3-0 win over Liechtenstein after picking up the problem in his country’s defeat to Italy three days earlier.
At his weekly press conference, Unai Emery said: “Today, we were here with every player but some players for example, Pepe, arrived late because his travel was long.
“He didn’t train today with the group, but he trained after our work, inside. Tomorrow I think he’s going to be ready for Saturday. Some players – Kolasinac, Bukayo and Rob Holding – didn’t train this morning because they have some small, small injuries.
“Not important injuries. Maybe tomorrow they could be ready for training and to be ready for Saturday, but we are going to wait until tomorrow morning and the last training.”
Earlier today, Arsenal’s medical team confirmed Dani Ceballos would be sidelined from first team training until mid-December.
It remains to be seen whether Granit Xhaka has a role to play.
The boss says the Switzerland international is in a better headspace, however, the player’s latest comments suggest he’s still pretty angry at being stripped of the captaincy. Reading between the lines, it looks like he’s angling for a January exit.
Tomorrow I think that tomorrow I will think that tomorrow they will be ready for the game the day after tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the day after today until it’s tomorrow. That’s how it works.
If Pepe doesn’t play I will be extremely extremely upset
Just let Ozil, Pepe, Auba and Laca play together once, PLEASE
You know, if you also play Torreira further back, and Bellerin and Tierney as fullbacks, we might have something there.
Between Jack and George above, only 3 positions and players have to be covered in outfield.
Guendouzi should take up the other midfield role. Then it’s the 2 CBs, possibly Luiz is one. Holding is still working is way back, so one of Sokratis or Chambers.
Its fairly obvious starting lineup but for Emery obvious doesn’t work. Maybe Emery is trying to get himself fired, that would explain is lineups and tactics!
Its not good I have high hopes for those two, but maybe now he will be forced to play our best players probably in some unthinkable negative defensive formation but I’m hoping their skill shines through so that he stumbles on a winning formula.
The Arsenal needs to go back to attacking Rando’s .
“In the moment they were with us outside and then in one moment inside without the group. In this moment it is small and not big but we will wait until another moment inside but hopefully outside with the group in that moment…”
The Emery spoofs have morphed into pseudo-For Whom the Bell Tolls. “How do you call yourself?”
Ahh, excellent. The comments here have turned into the piss n moan space.
So much negativity. People really need to get over it. Starting with Blogs, I might add.
And you don’t see the irony of your comment…?
Voting up your own comment is bad form
Have we thought about moving Luiz into the DM role. He’s played there before, his passing is way above our actual midfielders and he can, ahem, defend a bit. Sok and Holding at CB. Just a thought.
A big win coming up! COYG!
For who?