Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey doubts for Arsenal's opener against Leicester, Arsene Wenger confirms

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James Benge7 August 2017

Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil are facing a race against time to prove their fitness for Arsenal’s opening game of the season against Leicester on Friday.

Ramsey (calf) and Ozil (ankle) were among the leading names missing from a weakened Arsenal side that still managed to claim the Community Shield ahead of Chelsea, winning 4-1 on penalties after summer signing Sead Kolasinac had cancelled out Victor Moses’ opener.

Both midfielders will now have only five days to prove their match sharpness ahead of the visit of Leicester to the Emirates, and Wenger admitted that German playmaker Ozil had a “little” chance of recovering in time.

"Look I left them all out because some were short, like Alexis Sanchez," Wenger said of his Community Shield absentees. "Mesut got a kick on his ankle, he couldn’t play, couldn’t practice yesterday. He has a little chance to play on Friday night.

"Ramsey has a chance to play but I think he’ll be short as well."

Arsenal are likely to welcome Alexis Sanchez and Shkodran Mustafi back to the side, whilst Per Mertesacker is unlikely to be unavailable despite being forced off at Wembley with a cut eye.

​Mustafi and Sanchez were scheduled to return to training seven days ago, though the latter’s return to London was delayed due to the flu. Neither were in the match squad at the Emirates but joined in the celebrations at full time as Arsenal secured the season’s first piece of silverware.