Arsene Wenger has been doing his usual pre-game conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Stoke on Sunday, and he a little worried that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be fit after injuring his hamstring during the Southampton match. He thinks it is not serious but it may pay to be cautious. “It’s a minor hamstring problem.” Wenger said. “It was tight, but it was more fatigue.”
But after playing three games in a week there is little surprise that Le Prof will need to use a bit of rotation, and Wenger seems to be confident that Hector Bellerin will be able to replace the Ox again after coming on for him against the Saints. despite the fact that Chamberlain has been excellent in the wing-back role. The manager said: “He’s an offensive player,”
“He started as a right midfielder and was transformed into a full-back.
“Look, he’s a player who has a fantastic mentality. He went through a difficult period when he came back from his ankle injury, but I never questioned his attitude. He has great spirit.”
It also seems unlikely that Laurent Koscielny will also be ready for this match, as Le Prof explained: “He’s got a small chance. He was not far. He practised on Tuesday but it was risky to play him at Southampton.”
So it look like it will be Holding, Monreal and Mustafi as the 3 defenders, with Bellerin and Gibbs as the wing-backs again. Do you think that line-up should be able to deal with Stoke?
Admin