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Team news: Wenger’s update on Ramsey, Welbeck, Giroud & Cazorla

By on October 21, 2016

santi cazorla

It’s been another busy day of team news at Arsenal HQ so I thought I’d bring you the latest from Arsene Wenger’s updates ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Middlesbrough.

Unfortunately the boss confirmed that Ramsey and Giroud will continue to miss out this weekend as they are still not fit enough to return following lengthy injury absences.

Ramsey hasn’t featured since the first game of the season due to a hamstring injury but he’s back in training and could finally make his comeback against Sunderland next weekend.

Giroud could be back a little sooner as Wenger says the French international has a chance to feature in our League Cup clash with Reading on Tuesday as he looks to make his first appearance since picking up a toe injury against PSG over a month ago.

We have another slight doubt for the Boro game as Cazorla will need a late fitness check after suffering a knock to his troublesome achilles during the second half of our 6-0 win over Ludogorets on Wednesday night.

The Spaniard was only withdrawn as a precaution and he trained this afternoon so I expect Cazorla to be passed fit but Xhaka won’t be available as he starts a three-game ban.

Wenger also gave an update on Welbeck and it looks like the striker is progressing well in his recovery from a knee ligament injury that he sustained against Man City back in May of last season.

The 25-year-old was initially ruled out for nine months but Wenger says Welbz is due to start running again in just two weeks and could be back playing again in January, but it’s going to take him some time to get back to his best.

Here is what the boss told Arsenal.com:

on the latest team news…
Well, from Wednesday night it looks like we have no big problems. The only uncertainty I have is Santi Cazorla, who got a kick. We’ll see how he is today but we have nobody coming back. Of course we lose Xhaka because he’s suspended and everybody else should be available.

on Ramsey and Giroud…
They are progressing well. Olivier Giroud could maybe be involved on Tuesday and certainly will need one more week sharpening up. He could be available but we want him really to be 100 per cent fit before we bring him back.

on Ramsey’s progression…
Ramsey is progressing well and I believe fitness-wise he is 90 per cent there. His potential return could be not against Reading on Tuesday, but maybe Sunderland.

on Welbeck..
He could be back in January. After that let’s not forget he was already out for a year, so we might have to be patient. To get him back to a really competitive level… it will certainly take two months of competition to get back to his best.

on what stage he is at…
No [he is not out running yet], he will be starting to run in two weeks.