Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky will not be at his disposal for Arsenal’s Premier League opener against West Ham United on Sunday.
Both of them endured relatively frustrating 2014/15 campaigns, with Welbeck suffering a knee injury which kept aggravating throughout the second half of last season and allowed Olivier Giroud to rise above him in the pecking order.
“He is not too far away, but he is not ready for Sunday,” Wenger spoke of him.
His mediocre campaign did have its moment at Old Trafford though, when he dribbled past David de Gea and scored to send Arsenal to Wembley on their way to yet another FA Cup triumph. Despite persistent links to Karim Benzema, it does seem like the England international is on the manager’s clipboard for next season.
That seems less the case for Tomas Rosicky though, who was two inches away from the exit door after increasingly being on the periphery.
“We have Rosicky on a progressive recovery,” Wenger said, which has been typical of most of Rosicky’s career at Arsenal.
The 34-year-old Czech Republican, while possessing his own much appreciated skill-sets, seems to be behind Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and even Jack Wilshere in the pecking order. It remains to be seen if he is in Wenger’s plans this season, but his recurrent injuries could obstruct possibilities of a transfer move in August.
Meanwhile, Wenger has also confirmed what we knew about Alexis Sanchez – that he will be on an extended break after his Copa America expeditions.
“Alexis is back in training but I don’t think he will be involved on Sunday, it is a bit early maybe,” the boss said. “We have to decide that at the end of the week, but I don’t think he will be involved.
“He came back in good fitness shape so that is quite positive, but I am not surprised by that because I can’t imagine him lying around for four weeks and doing nothing. That wouldn’t be him.
“Alex without running around is not Alex, you know. You can’t imagine him lying on the beach somewhere and not moving!”
