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Team news: Wenger offers update on Koscielny & Oxlade-Chamberlain

By on May 12, 2017

Laurent-Koscielny arsenal

Arsene Wenger has been speaking to Arsenal.com and he’s given a team news and injury update ahead of Arsenal’s crucial trip to Stoke City this weekend.

We head to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday evening looking to keep the pressure on the top four and Wenger has given an update on Laurent Koscielny and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fitness.

Koscielny missed the win at Southampton on Wednesday night after picking up a calf injury during the win over Manchester United last weekend.

Wenger says the centre-back was able to train on Tuesday and has a chance to return to the squad tomorrow after not being risked for the trip to St Mary’s in midweek.

Oxlade-Chamberlain limped out of the win over Southampton and was replaced by Hector Bellerin after suffering a hamstring problem during the first half.

Thankfully it doesn’t sound like the injury is serious as Wenger says it was just fatigue so hopefully The Ox will be in contention to face Stoke – although I don’t think we’ll see him start the game.

Here is what Wenger told Arsenal.com:

on whether Koscielny has a chance after picking up calf issue against Man Utd…
He’s got a small chance. He was not far. He practised on Tuesday but it was risky to play him at Southampton.

on the Ox’s injury…
It’s a minor hamstring problem. It was tight, but it was more fatigue.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Koscielny is risked from the start at Stoke but Mustafi played superbly well alongside Holding and Monreal on Wednesday.

With The Ox unlikely to start this weekend, it opens the door for Bellerin to come back in to the starting eleven and I think he’s well suited to the right wing-back role.