- Arsenal face West Ham in the League Cup on Tuesday night
- Wenger confirms one starter, while key duo will miss out
- Gunners also have clash with Liverpool at weekend to consider
- READ MORE: Arsenal fans get very excited, club drop huge perceived hint over extension
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has shared some mixed injury updates as he prepares his side for their League Cup clash with West Ham United on Tuesday.
The Gunners will hope to take a step closer to winning some silverware this season, with the Premier League title looking like a distant and impossible dream given Man City’s form.
In turn, the French tactician may well choose to take the Europa League and cup competitions a little more seriously, along with the pursuit of a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Up next is the visit of the Hammers to the Emirates on Tuesday night for their League Cup quarter-final clash, and he has confirmed some important bits of team news.
Theo Walcott will start as he makes his comeback to the line-up having made just one appearance in the last 12 league outings, although he did play a starring role in the 6-0 win over BATE Borisov in Europe earlier this month.
He’ll be hoping to impress in midweek in order to claim his place in the team back, but there’s no such luck for either Aaron Ramsey or Shkodran Mustafi who are both set to miss out.
The former is expected to be sidelined until early January after sustaining another setback, while Mustafi is still recovering from the thigh muscle problem he suffered in the loss to Man Utd, as per the tweets from freelance injury analyst Ben Dinnery below.
The Gunners have ridden their luck at times at the back in his absence, but having conceded just one goal in their last three outings, they may feel confident in coping for another game as Wenger suggested it’s just a precaution and the German international could return at the weekend to face Liverpool.
Shkodran Mustafi is back but Wenger will not risk the defender in the Carabao Cup. Theo Walcott is 100 per cent and “he will play on Tuesday.” #AFC
?Ahead of the Carabao Cup + GW19@PremierInjuries table ?
? https://t.co/4KiAUTZjCa— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) December 18, 2017
Ramsey was out running [on Monday] but he will not be back in the next 10 days. “For him, the beginning of January is more likely.” #AFC
?Ahead of the Carabao Cup + GW19@PremierInjuries table ?
? https://t.co/4KiAUTZjCa— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) December 18, 2017