Arsenal will reportedly face an anxious wait over the international break to determine when a key trio of players will be able to return.
Laurent Koscielny, Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil were all missing in Sunday’s win over Brighton, and as seen in the tweet below from freelance injury analyst Ben Dinnery, the trio have all been ruled out for their respective countries during the international break.
It will be a cause for concern for Arsene Wenger as he ideally wants key individuals returning to fitness ahead of a packed schedule in the coming months, but instead he’s seeing more players pick up problems and join a lengthy list of absentees.
An ongoing Achilles problem rules Koscielny out of #FRA upcoming WCQs. Welbeck & Ozil will also miss out for their respective countries #AFC
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) October 1, 2017
However, as per the Evening Standard, both Ozil and Koscielny are expected to be available when Arsenal resume their campaign after the break against Watford on October 14.
Ozil has played just seven minutes of football in the last five games due to an on-going knee problem, while Koscielny has struggled with his Achilles for years and requires constant treatment on the issue.
It’s noted that Wenger has revealed he expects both to be available for selection when their teammates return from international duty, although no such return date was put forward on Welbeck even though the Watford game is also noted as a possible target for the England international.
The Gunners are on a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but with Premier League, Europa League and League Cup games coming up, Wenger will have to rotate and tread carefully to avoid further setbacks and issues from arising.