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Team news update: Arsenal set to be without 4 players for Frankfurt clash

By on September 18, 2019

alexandre lacazette

Arsenal have provided a team news and injury update ahead of our Europa League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening.

We travel to Germany for our opening game in Group F and unfortunately Unai Emery will continue to be without the services of Alexandre Lacazette as he’s still recovering from an ankle injury.

The Frenchman has been nursing the problem since pre-season and after aggravating the injury playing in the North London Derby earlier this month, it was decided Lacazette needed a prolonged period of rest so he won’t return until some point in October.

Hector Bellerin resumed full training last week after recovering from a knee ligament injury that’s kept him out since January of last season but Emery has suggested he won’t be rushing him back too soon.

Bellerin is expected to continue to work on his fitness in training and will be given a chance to build up some minutes with the U23s before he’s made available for selection to Emery so he won’t be involved against Frankfurt.

Kieran Tierney also returned to full training last week after overcoming a niggling groin injury that’s hampered him for a number of months. The left-back is closer to making his return to the first team than Bellerin but I still think he’ll be eased into action with games for the U23s.

The other injury concern is Dinos Mavropanos and he stepped up his recovery from a troublesome groin injury by playing for the U23s at the weekend. The Greek youngster has been plagued by the injury for several months so he’s unlikely to be involved in the Arsenal first team squad tomorrow but hopefully he can play in the League Cup next week.

The update on Arsenal.com said:

Alex Lacazette
Left ankle. Alex continues to rehabilitate the injury to his left ankle and is likely to be back in action in October.

Dinos Mavropanos
Now back in full training with the first-team squad. Played 67 minutes with the Under-23s against Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Hector Bellerin
Now back in full training with the first-team squad.

Kieran Tierney
Now back in full training with the first-team squad.

Rob Holding could be back in contention after building-up his fitness with the U23s recently and Emery could give him an opportunity to stake his claim for a regular first team place with a run out against Frankfurt.

The Arsenal boss is set to make wholesale changes to his team as he rests key players for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa. Emi Martinez, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli are all expected to feature tomorrow night.