Arsenal begin their “Group of Death” Champions League adventure with a typically tricky game in France against Marseille.
After a content but defensively uncertain 3-1 win at Sunderland, Wenger’s men have no fresh injury worries yet the initial injury list remains significant.
Largely unchanged
Per Mertesacker did not travel to Sunderland and left Bacary Sagna to fill in at centre-half yet again up North. The German is expected to have overcome to illness which kept him in London rather than the Stadium of Light on Saturday, giving the Frenchman Sagna an opportunity to win back his right-back place from in-form Carl Jenkinson.
€50million man Mesut Ozil is also expected to keep his place in the Arsenal side after his spellbinding display on his Premier League debut, despite being struck down with injury himself. Ozil has a shed full of European experience having excelled in the Europa League with Bremen and the Champions League with Madrid.
Olivier Giroud had given the Arsenal fans a huge scare after he limped from the pitch at Sunderland, leaving 16-year-old Chuba Akpom – who had impressed in the pre-season tour of Asia – to make his Premiership debut. Giroud had supposedly suffered an ankle injury however the Frenchman who has 5 goals in 6 appearances in all competitions.
Yet the 26-year-old man was fast to quash any fears over the injury and has been passed fit to play alongside Ozil at the Stade Vélodrome.
Ramsey’s flashback
In-form Aaron Ramsey, who also has 5 goals from 6 appearances this season, will return to the ground where he scored a 92nd minute winner in the group stages of the Champions League in a similar tie back in 2011.
The Welshman was forced into a blush after the Sunderland match as fans sang:
"He's better than Bale! Aaron Ramsey you're better than Bale!
"£85m you're having a laugh! Don't ever go, don't leave us son."
The French opponents sit a comfortable 4th in Ligue 1 after 5 games, taking 10 points from a possible 15. The lack of creativity in midfield could be a problem when the Gunners trio of Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey visit, however new boy Dmitri Payet could provide the class they need to overcome the superior Arsenal.
With Borussia Dortmund and Napoli the other teams in Arsenal’s so called “Group of Death”, the game with Marseille could prove to be one of their easier fixtures, meaning the Wednesday night game in the south of France is a hugely important fixture.
ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Wilshere, Flamini, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud.
