Arsene Wenger is resting SEVEN big names for Arsenal's Europa League opener with Cologne.
Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette, Danny Welbeck, Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey all sat out training this morning and will not be involved.
Jack Wilshere trained and is set to start his first game for Arsenal in 13 months.
Alexis Sanchez may also start to boost his match fitness.
The Arsenal absentees will sit out tomorrow to be ready for Sunday's trip to Chelsea.
Per Mertesacker, Theo Walcott and David Ospina are set to be handed some much-needed game time.
A number of youngsters are also expected to be involved at the Emirates, including Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock.
Earlier this week, Cech insisted the Europa League must be a target for the Gunners this season.
"Either you take it seriously and you go to win it and you give yourself the chance to do it or you give yourself different priorities and see how it goes," he said.
"At Chelsea, we were really disappointed to have been knocked out of the group stage (of the Champions League) but we decided that for the first time and the last time, hopefully, we play in the Europa League so we want to win."
Probable line-up: Ospina; Holding, Mertesacker, Mustafi; Bellerin, Wilshere, Elneny, Kolasinac; Sanchez, Iwobi; Giroud