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Team news: Arsenal duo face late fitness tests, 2 others ruled out of Chelsea clash

By on January 23, 2018

aaron ramsey arsenal

Arsene Wenger has been speaking at his press conference this morning and he’s offered a team news update ahead of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea.

We welcome our London rivals to the Emirates for the second leg of our semi-final tomorrow night and Aaron Ramsey is facing a late fitness test to see if he’ll be available for the game.

Ramsey missed the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend due to illness but Wenger is hopeful the Welsh international will be back in contention against Chelsea tomorrow.

Nacho Monreal is also facing a fitness test to see if he’ll be available on Wednesday night after being forced off during the win over Palace with a minor hamstring complaint.

New signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan completed his move to Arsenal last night but the Armenian international isn’t eligible to face Chelsea having previously played for Man Utd in this year’s League Cup.

Wenger also confirmed that Olivier Giroud will just miss out again tomorrow as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury while Danny Welbeck is also still carrying a muscle problem.

Wenger told Arsenal.com:

on Mkhitaryan being cup-tied and the latest team news…
No [he’s not available]. We might have Ramsey back in the squad – he has a test today. After that, we have the uncertainty over Nacho Monreal who came off during the game against Crystal Palace. Hopefully he will be available. He has a test this morning as well.

on Giroud and Welbeck…
Olivier Giroud’s a fraction short. Danny Welbeck is a fraction short as well.

It will be interesting to see how Wenger lines-up in midfield if Ramsey is fit as I’d love to see us go with Rambo and Jack Wilshere in front of Granit Xhaka.

However, the boss might be tempted to revert to a back three having played a back four against Palace which means we’d lose a central midfielder.