I started Holding centrally as one of the 3 CBs in the Arsenal back - line over the will not be 100 % big
match fit Koscielny.
Not exact matches
By my count we have 7 if you count Monreal as below
Koscielny Mustafi Gabriel Mertesacker Holding Chambers Monreal
Koscielny was suspended and Mustafi was not
match fit.
Arsenal have injury concerns themselves, with Per Mertesacker and Gabriel both out in defence, whilst Arsene Wenger has said that Laurent
Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud won't feature as they aren't
match fit after returning late due to Euro 2016.
Both Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista will be out for the long term future with respective injures, whilst first choice Laurent
Koscielny will miss out due to not being fully
match fit to start.
He has always trusted the
Koscielny - Mertesacker partnership and he will stick with that until Gabs get's
match fit against lower opposition.
Welbeck, wilshere, mertasacker out, with our best player Ozil not
match fit he says alongside
koscielny our best defender with a week to go lol you just couldnt make it up only at Arsenal.
And perhaps the reason for the change of heart on Wenger's part is the fact that key players like Ramsey, Ozil, Giroud and
Koscielny might not be
match fit after their Euro 2016 exertions.
With the Liverpool
match not too far away, I'd be very surprised if Giroud and
Koscielny are
fit enough to start, whilst there is hope that Ozil may make the starting eleven given that he has returned early from his holiday break to meet up with the Arsenal side in LA.
The other players who are currently 100 % certain to play almost every
match this season, should they stay
fit, are Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal, Laurent
Koscielny and Petr Cech.
So the Gunners will be facing a strong and
match fit side without the likes of Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez, Laurent
Koscielny, Gabriel and Per Mertesacker.
With Per Mertesacker and Gabriel sidelined through injury, and Laurent
Koscielny not
match fit, Wenger had to field youngsters Calum Chambers and Rob Holding in defence against Liverpool.