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Arsenal confirm 23-man USA tour squad: Star ruled out through injury

By on July 25, 2016

per mertesacker arsenal

Arsenal announced our 23-man squad for this summers pre-season tour of the United States today and unfortunately Per Mertesacker has been ruled out through injury.

The German international was fully expected to lead the team out over in the US but he’s been forced to remain in North London after picking up a knee injury.

With Gabriel also not travelling due to tonsillitis and Laurent Koscielny still on his extended break following his participation at Euro 2016, we’ll be without our three senior centre-back’s.

It means that new signing Rob Holding and youngster Calum Chambers will be our chosen pairing on tour while the likes of Nacho Monreal and possibly youngster Krysitan Bielik will have to fill-in at times.

Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil also miss out as they remain on holiday following Euro 2016 while Alexis Sanchez hasn’t travelled due to an ankle injury that he picked up at the Copa America.

The good news is that Granit Xhaka is included in the travelling party and he’ll be looking to impress along with a number of young guns such as Zelalem, Reine-Adelaide, Willock and Akpom.

The squad left London for California this afternoon [see photos from the plane here] ahead of our clash with an MLS All-Star XI on Thursday before we take on Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday night.

Here is the squad: