Arsenal travel to Germany with injury problems in defence as they begin their Champions League campaign away to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
Arsene Wenger leads Arsenal to Germany to face familiar opponent Borussia Dortmund
Right-back Mathieu Debuchy and left-back Nacho Monreal are out, while new signing Calum Chambers is a doubt.
Meanwhile, Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp says midfielder Shinji Kagawa is not guaranteed a starting place.
Kagawa, 25, marked his return from Manchester United with a goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Freiburg.
The Japan international, who spent two disappointing seasons at Manchester United after winning back-to-back German league titles at Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, also provided an assist in the home victory.
"For a first game back it was an extraordinary one for him," Klopp said. "We saw the opportunity and used it to bring him back and at least here everyone is happy. A decision whether he will play will be taken [on Tuesday]morning."
Should 19-year-old Chambers, a £16m summer arrival from Southampton, fail to recover from tonsillitis, Spanish youngster Hector Bellerin will line up in a makeshift Arsenal defence.
Wenger rated Chambers' chances of recovery at "50-50", but added Bellerin would be "ready to play", describing the 19-year-old, who has made just one senior appearance for Arsenal, as "a boy with personality, who isn't fazed by the pressure".
The Frenchman added: "That's a very important quality when you're a young boy playing at a big club. His transition game is fantastic. He's very quick and his final ball is good as well. He lacks a bit of experience as a defender, but he's very dangerous going forward."
Bellerin (left) has only made one senior appearance for Arsenal, in last season's League Cup
Kieran Gibbs will start at left-back in place of Monreal, who has not travelled because of a back problem, while Debuchy's absence relates to the ankle ligament damage he suffered in Saturday's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City.
Reports have suggested Debuchy could be out for up to three months, with Arsenal awaiting the results of a scan.
"Debuchy is out for a longer period. We don't know how long yet. We hoped to have good news after his scan today," Wenger said.
"We had a very physical game against Man City on Saturday so it will be tough for us. But we have recovered well and sometimes in the second game you can be even stronger."
BBC Sport
No comments:
Post a Comment