Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of their two key men, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ahead of the season opener against Liverpool in just under a month. Sanchez, who was crowned Copa America Champion with Chile for the second year running this summer, is suffering from an ankle injury, while Ozil is set to be late back to first-team training with the Gunners, as he was away with Germany at this year’s European Championships.
Those two players are not the only concern for Arsene Wenger heading into the new season, as his side are also set to be without French duo Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny, and also Welshman Aaron Ramsey. It is reported that both Ramsey and Ozil might have a chance of making the Liverpool game, as they are due to report back to first-team training at the beginning of August. For Koscielny and Giroud, the game will come too soon after their participation in France getting to the Euro 2016 final. The latest Premier League lines suggest it will be.
With Giroud out of the Liverpool game, and Alexis also a major doubt, where would that leave Arsenal in terms of attacking options? The only player that comes to mind, would be Theo Walcott, but that would be a concern for the Arsenal faithful. Walcott had a pretty poor season last term, and could count himself lucky that he is still at the club. You can’t help feel that this is Walcott’s last chance to prove himself this season, as he really is running out of chances.
If Walcott were to start up front for the Liverpool game, then you would assume that Iwobi would be on one flank and Campbell or Ox-Chamberlain on the other, in a 4-3-3 formation. Though Arsenal fans can still hope that there could be a new striker possibly arriving in the meantime.
As for the absentees in midfield, with the possibility of no Ramsey and Ozil, then that is not as much as an issue up front. Arsenal have a host of midfield talent that they can rely on to cover when others are missing. You would assume that either Cazorla, Wilshere or El Neny would come in to make up that midfield. So not bad options there really…
So with Giroud and Koscielny definitely out of the opening game against Liverpool, and Sanchez, Ozil and Ramsey big doubts, here is the possible starting XI that could line up in a month’s time:
Cech; Bellerin, Mertersacker, Gabriel, Monreal; Xhaka, El Neny, Cazorla; Iwobi, Ox-Chamberlain, Walcott.
