Arsene Wenger faces an anxious wait on FOUR key players ahead of Sunday’s North London derby.
Kieran Gibbs is the latest to join the casualty list after hurting his shoulder during Arsenal ’s Champions League win in Ludogorets on Tuesday night.
That is on top of Nacho Monreal also being a doubt which could leave Arsenal without a senior left back for Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off against Tottenham .
Santi Cazorla is expected to miss out because of an Achilles injury while Theo Walcott has the best chance of being fit after a hamstring problem.
Gunners boss Wenger said: “We have still some uncertainties at the moment because Kieran Gibbs has been touched on his shoulder and I don’t know how will respond to that. I will see today.
“After, the players who did not travel like Cazorla, Mobreal, Walcott - there is still some uncertainty today, the closest to coming back looks to be Walcott. We will have a test with him today.
“Monreal has tests today and tomorrow and then we will decide. Cazorla is similar, he has not practised yet - he will try to go out today and we will see where we go from there. He is a doubt, yes.”
Spanish right back Hector Bellerin is expected to be fit after missing the trip to Bulgaria.
Wenger added: “Hector has a test. I didn't count him at the start because… I left him behind because I was cautious with him. He could have basically forced the issue, he could have played maybe in Bulgaria but he should be alright.”
Meanwhile, Wenger will have Granit Xhaka back from his three game domestic suspension and the Swiss midfielder has been warned to calm down in the future.
Wenger said: “Look I have no specific idea what I will do but am I bit concerned? Yes, of course because the discipline is important and we want to be effective in all situations we face and in the derby it is important to keep control of your reaction and to have a strong discipline, because it is part of the effectiveness in these games.
“Normally he is a very composed and calm guy, sometimes on the field he has a reaction that is a bit impulsive and he knows that. It is not because you talk about that. He has to work on that and keep control of his reactions in the game.”
Wenger has also backed the English FA in their stance against FIFA by insisting they are right to ask to wear poppies in the World Cup qualifier with Scotland despite the threat of punishment because the world governing body say it is not allowed.
Frenchman Wenger, who was wearing a poppy, added: “I find it a little bit surprising. I believe that, by wanting to be too politically correct, sometimes you go against tradition. In this case, that is the part of English culture that I love.
“They respect tradition and they respect people who have given their life for their country. I think that Fifa should not get involved in that.”