Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Mohamed Elneny is in contention to be involved with the squad for the trip to the Britannia Stadium on Sunday, when the Gunners take on Stoke City.
Elneny joined Arsenal on Thursday morning after weeks of speculation linking him with a move to the north London side and having beaten the Friday squad registration deadline, is available for selection for Wenger’s side.
The Frenchman discussed with the media, as reported by the club’s official website in his pre-match news conference whether the 23-year-old would be involved or not.
Elneny is available for selection, I haven’t decided yet [whether I will play him]. I have to see how everyone has recovered. Elneny is a possibility to be in the squad for Sunday.
Speaking on his routes, Wenger claimed that Egyptian’s should be proud of Elneny – who became the first from the African country to play under the Frenchman’s tutelage.
Twitter: Wenger – Why I’m so pleased to have signed Elneny. https://t.co/QlWvtTRrdI https://t.co/ePUr2A4xL9 (@ReadArsenalFC)
I think the Egyptian fans should be proud of Elneny first because, through his quality and his work, his dedication, he managed to get a transfer like this.
On our side I think we have shown once again that no matter where you come from, if we think you are good enough, you get a chance, and that’s what we did with Elneny.
I bought Elneny because he can play with a defensive player and as well he can be the defensive player. Where will his ultimate strength be? I need to know more about him with daily contact to see how well he can win the ball in the Premier League. That will be decisive to transform him into a more defensive or much more of a box-to-box player.
I expect him to develop into a very strong player because he has both sides of the game, he can defend and he can attack and that’s the way we want to play in midfield.
Arsenal face Stoke City on Sunday afternoon, with them having the opportunity to re-extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table, having dropped points against Liverpool on Wednesday evening after Joe Allen’s late equaliser.
