Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has revealed team news and injury updates ahead of their Premier League game against Crystal Palace in the weekend. Quoted by Arsenal’s official website, Wenger said:
About the availability of Flamini and Wilshere…
“Flamini is available. He had no basic injury – it was just a precaution. Wilshere (ankle) will be checked later by the medical people and we’ll see if I will involve him or not.”
About the other squad players…
“Everybody else is available.”
Arsene Wenger fielded a midfield line-up that missed Flamini and Cazorla against Dortmund and the Gunners failed to control the game in the middle of the pitch. Arsenal were stretched in every part of the game during the first half and Flamini’s absence was clearly felt. However against Crystal Palace the French man is available and should once again take center stage as the Gunners look to take maximum points from a manager less Palace side.
And regarding Cazorla’s involvement in the first team Wenger revealed his plan to team up the Spaniard alongside Mesut Ozil in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield. Cazorla was moved to the bench against Dortmund as Wenger felt that he was not ready physically but the midfielder turned the heat in the second half when he came on as a substitute. With Wilshere tagged as doubtful for the game, Cazorla and Ozil should be started. Talking about his midfield options Wenger revealed that:
“I did not start Cazorla on Tuesday night because I did not feel he was completely ready physically, but when he came on he did well.
“Ozil said he was alright, but in the two days before he had a virus and you could see that physically he was not at his best.
“Dortmund, though, were organised to stop us from playing our game and one of their game plans was to stop Ozil from getting into the game and they did that.”