Arsène Wenger has conceded that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a major doubt for the FA Cup final after suffering another injury setback by picking up a hamstring problem in training.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has not featured for Arsenal since their FA Cup victory at Manchester United in early March because of hamstring and groin injuries and Wenger has confirmed he will now miss Sunday’s return to Old Trafford as well as next Wednesday’s home clash with Sunderland.
The Arsenal manager also admitted the 21-year-old is unlikely to take part in the final game of the season at home to West Brom which would give him just six days to prove his fitness for the FA Cup final against Aston Villa on 30 May when his team attempt to defend the trophy won against Hull City last year.
“Look, he will not play next week and after, there’s only one week to go for the Cup final,” said Wenger, while also confirming the hamstring injury does not require surgery. “I think he will be short but you never know. If he can be available for West Brom, maybe that’s the earliest he could be. It’s difficult to predict today.”
Wenger may name an unchanged side against Manchester United for the sixth league match in succession after also revealing that Danny Welbeck, who scored the winner in the sides’ FA Cup meeting, has only a slim of facing his former club. “We have a squad available who was available recently,” he added. “Nobody is back. Welbeck is short a fraction but not far away and I don’t think I’ve forgotten anybody. It’s a similar squad.”
Victory on Sunday would rubber-stamp Arsenal’s place in the top three, and with it an automatic place in the Champions League group stage, while avoiding defeat would mean a win against Sunderland would be enough to avoid the qualification rounds. But Wenger wants to finish the job at Old Trafford.
“First of all we can mathematically put a distance between them and us in the top four and basically secure the top three,” said Wenger. “Also, we can make a symbolic statement because we won over there in the FA Cup. To reproduce that would be psychologically important.
“[The statement would be] that we can beat Manchester United away from home, that we have won away from home [again]. Overall our recent away form has been very strong and that’s always a sign of a team who is in progress.
“To do it again would convince us more that we have the strength and can be even stronger next season and show that we have made progress. In the recent years it was a difficult ground for us and that is what we want to show: that we have made progress.”