Arsenal did very well in the Caraboa Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge despite having half the first team out injured including Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Sead Kolasinac, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal and Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez was left on the bench.
The return leg is in two weeks time and although Alexis may have left by then, according to Arsene Wenger we should have everyone else back (and Sanchez’s replacement in the squad) by the time Chelsea come to the Emirates.
Wenger said yesterday: “From Wednesday night, we had of course Jack, who was injured. We had very good news yesterday morning. I saw him walking normally and his scan was good. He’s not out of the game on Sunday yet, so that is positive news.
“We’ll have Ramsey back in the squad.
“We have an uncertainty over Ozil, who will have a test earliest tomorrow. That at the moment is a bit 50:50. All the other players will still be out for Bournemouth.
“Koscielny next week, Kolasinac next week – though he has a little, little chance to be available. Monreal earliest next week as well.”
And that just leaves Giroud, so Wenger concluded: “He is two weeks away.”
So it looks like we could have everyone back in time for the Chelsea rematch, and most of them could be playing either against Bournemouth tomorrow or at home to Crystal Palace the following weekend. Chelsea are currently still the favourites to get through to the Final, but if we get all these players back, we could have a much better chance….
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