Arsene Wenger has revealed a double blow for Arsenal ahead of their opening Premier League game on Friday against Leicester City.
The Arsenal boss was without Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez for the Community Shield clash against Chelsea on Sunday and the attacking pair look set to miss out on the first day of league action.
Sanchez has only just returned from an extended break after playing long into the summer with Chile at the Confederations Cup.
Ozil is nursing an ankle injury and Wenger seems to be planning to put together an eleven without his star men.
‘Alexis is short of competition,’ admitted Wenger.
‘Mesut [Ozil] has a swollen ankle after taking a kick on his ankle.
‘He has a little chance to play on Friday night.’
Sanchez has been the subject of intense transfer speculation this summer with the goalscorer refusing to sign a new contract.
Ozil and Sanchez are now in the final year of their current deal, but both are expected to stay at the Emirates.
Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain have been heavily linked with a move for Sanchez, but Wenger has insisted the Chilean is staying at Arsenal regardless of whether he signs a new deal.
Arsenal managed to beat Chelsea despite the fact several of their first-team stars were unavailable for selection.
Aaron Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny were missing from the matchday squad while Per Mertesacker was forced off in the first half of the Chelsea game due to a clash of heads.
It is not clear whether Mertesacker will recover in time for the Leicester game, but Wenger seemed optimistic his defender would be back in time for the visit from the Foxes.
Leicester travel to the Emirates in the first game of the Premier League season on Friday night.
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