Alexis Sánchez has emerged as a hamstring doubt for Arsenal’s home game against Aston Villa on Sunday as Arsène Wenger prepares to include the £11.3m new signing Gabriel Paulista in the squad.
Sánchez will undergo a fitness test on Saturday and Wenger seemed to suggest that he might err on the side of caution, given the intensity of the programme ahead. Sánchez was used only as a 70th-minute substitute in the FA Cup win at Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday.
Gabriel is match fit, having not missed a league fixture this season for Villarreal, the club that the centre-half swapped for Arsenal earlier in the week and, given the on-going need to manage Laurent Koscielny’s achilles problem, he could feature against Villa.
Danny Welbeck (thigh) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) are out, together with the longer-term casualties Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy.
“The squad will be exactly the same as last Sunday,” Wenger said. “The only uncertainty we have is Alexis Sánchez, who has a hamstring concern, and that will be decided on Saturday. He might be out for Sunday.
“The only other difference is that Gabriel is available and we’ll check on how he is physically but he should be all right to be available. Welbeck is very close. He will join in normal training on Monday. He will be available for the Tottenham game [next Saturday].”