adminLONDON. -Mesut Ozil is in line for a return to action against Stoke tomorrow after spending the last three months on the sidelines but Danny Welbeck remains sidelined.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger initially described his knee injury as an “innocuous one” but ligament problems have delayed the Germany international’s return since the defeat to Chelsea in October.
However, despite a bout of illness this week further restricting his training opportunities, he is one of four extra bodies in contention for a place in tomorrow’s game – with Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini also back in training and Olivier Giroud available again after suspension.
“Ozil will be training for the second time today and certainly he will be available for selection on Sunday. Will I start him? I don’t know.” Wenger said yesterday.
“He is an exceptional football player and gives you always continuity in the game. And he is a very creative player. You want all your best players available.
“Aaron Ramsey, Ozil and Mathieu Flamini are back in training. (Danny) Welbeck is not available, (Olivier) Giroud is back from suspension,” Wenger told re- porters.
“The advantage is that while most of the players in the Premier League have 26 games in their legs, those players coming back have just four or five.
“If we can get them fresh and ready they could give us a new impact for the end of the season.”
Wenger has, meanwhile, refused to rule out a double defensive swoop for Saint-Etienne’s Loic Perrin and Villarreal’s Gabriel Paul- ista.
The Gunners boss is reportedly looking for reinforcements this month after suffering a number of casualties to his backline in the first half of the season.
The likes of Laurent Kosciely and Mathieu Debuchy have missed large chunks of the current campaign, with youngsters Calum Chamberlain and Hector Bellerin stepping in to fill the breach in their absence. – The Ex- press.
Despite selling club captain Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona last summer, Wenger failed to bring in a like-for-like replacement, and could now splash the cash on both Perrin and Paulista, with Villarreal reportedly interested in Costa Rican attacker Joel Campbell.
And talking ahead of Arsenal’s Sunday clash against Stoke at the Emirates, the Frenchman refused to deny speculation linking the Gunners with the deals.
When asked if he was actively pursuing deals for the duo, Wenger said: “No, we are not on the case [right now]. We try to keep that as quiet as possible.
“(Joel Campbell in a swap deal?) No, I want him to stay here.”
Another player whose place in the starting lineup is perhaps not guaranteed is goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who was fined by the club after being caught smoking in the changing room following their defeat to Southampton on January 1.
The Pole has apologised, Wenger said, but it seems his manager will still leave him sweating on his place in the side.
And Wenger has expressed his frustration at how easily stories are leaking from the Arsenal dressing room.
The latest behind-closed-doors escapade to reach the public domain was the incident last week after the defeat against Southampton when goalkeeper Szczesny was caught smoking in the showers – a transgression against club rules that earned him a £20 000 fine.
Yesterday’s press conference at the club’s London Colney training ground was the first time Wenger had faced the media since the story broke – but even he saw the irony of trying to stay tight-lipped on the subject.
Wenger says he’s not decided on his XI when asked about Szczesny.
“I’ve not selected the first 11 yet,” Wenger added.
“I don’t want to talk about that because what happens in our dressing room stays in our dressing room – apart from the fact it does not stay there,” he said.
Wenger says “I don’t need to expand on that” when asked on disciplining of the goalkeeper.
On Szczesny’s father comments: “I don’t listen to the mother, father, grandmother”.
Wenger confirms Szczesny has apologised for the whole smoking-in-the-changing-rooms thing.
“He’s a serious boy who works very hard. He’s not the first to make a mistake and not the last.”
“I am against smoking. I grew up in a period where I did military service and got paid in cigarettes. It excited us to smoke. I grew up with smoking. But we know it’s not good.”
Arsenal’s season is yet to truly ignite and they sit sixth in the table ahead of the visit from traditional bogey team Stoke, who inflicted an embarrassing reverse on Wenger’s side at the start of December.
Then Arsenal shipped three goals in the first half, rendering their second-half fightback academic in a 3-2 defeat.
Stoke’s traditionally combative approach has frequently exposed Arsenal’s famed soft underbelly and with Mark Hughes’s side comfortably placed in mid-table, Wenger is expecting another testing afternoon.
“Stoke are always especially motivated against Arsenal,” he said.
Online Reporter