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Pre-Man Utd team news: Wenger on Gabriel, Welbeck, The Ox & Wilshere

By on February 26, 2016

alex-oxlade-chamberlain arsenal

Arsene Wenger held his pre-match press conference this morning and he gave Arsenal.com the latest team news updates ahead of Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.

The boss revealed that Gabriel will undergo a late fitness test to see if he’s available for the game after missing the last three matches with a hamstring injury.

Unfortunately Arsene also confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a serious knee injury during our defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

However, Wenger was unable to give a precise time-frame on how long the 22-year-old will be out for as they have to wait to hear back from a specialist before the full extent of the injury is know.

Danny Welbeck has looked sharp since returning from injury leading to calls he should start against his former club this weekend but Arsene insists he’s still going to be cautious with the attacker after over 10 months on the sidelines.

The final update from the boss was on Jack Wilshere and he simply said the midfielder is still not back in full training yet as he continues to recover from a fractured fibula that’s kept him on the sidelines for the entire season so far.

Here is what Arsene told the clubs website:

on Gabriel…

Gabriel has a test today and tomorrow then we will see if he is available for the game.

on Oxlade-Chamberlain…

We lost Oxlade-Chamberlain on Tuesday night. It’s not [a recurrence of a previous injury]. Not at all. It’s a new injury. He has been cut in two by Mascherano and he did his knee. We have to see how big the damage is in his knee. He is consulting a specialist at the moment. Hopefully we will have good news. How long is he out for exactly? I don’t know.

on Welbeck…

He has been out for a while, we still need to be cautious with him.

on if Welbeck could start on Sunday…

I haven’t picked my team yet for Sunday. I cannot tell you that now at the moment. He is back in the squad but we still have to be cautious with him. He is still in the squad and he is not completely over his knee problem. He has done really well and is very fit. I have to analyse that.

on Wilshere…

He is not back in full training yet.

Let’s hope Gabriel is passed fit as I’d love to see him start against United this weekend while it’s going to be interesting to see who Wenger goes with on the right wing now that Oxlade-Chamberlain is out. My choice would be Theo Walcott, despite his lack of form lately.

CHECK OUT MY PREFERRED LINE-UP TO FACE MAN UTD HERE