The Arsenal medical team have confirmed that the fitness of Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin is still being assessed ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup third round clash with Blackpool.
While, all four players are on the mend – Bellerin and Monreal were pictured in training ahead of last weekend’s match with Fulham – it seems unlikely they’ll be risked at Bloomfield Road. Given we have important games against West Ham and Chelsea on the horizon, that would make sense.
To recap, Ozil has a knee problem, Mustafi and Monreal have hamstring issues and Bellerin is nursing a calf injury.
As for how the squad will look on Saturday evening, we’re guessing that Unai Emery will change his goalkeeper and that the likes of Mohamed Elneny, Carl Jenkinson, Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka are in with a shout of game time. Zech Medley could make the bench given his involvement in recent Europa League squads.
Emile Smith Rowe, who’d usually be pushing for a starting place in this type of game, remains sidelined by a hip problem. Dinos Mavropanos’ wait for a first game of the season goes on, as he works his way back from a groin problem.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck are the long-term absentees.