Gibbs and Diaby are out but Vermaelen should be back.
Ahead of the Premier League match with Newcastle United on Monday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has no new injury concerns and could welcome back Thomas Vermaelen.
Both Kieran Gibbs and Abou Diaby remain sidelined for the Gunners and in the absence of the former, Vermaelen will be a welcome addition at left-back.
At Colney. Wenger: “Everybody available at Hull last week should be available [for Mon]. Vermaelen could be back, not Gibbs, not Diaby.”
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) April 25, 2014
The club captain has been something of a peripheral figure at the Emirates Stadium this term due to the rise on prominence of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker as a central defensive partnership.
If Vermaelen does feature against Newcastle then it will be only the 21st appearance of the year for the Belgium international and this is why he has been linked with a move away from north London.
Meanwhile Gibbs has flourished in the first team and the Englishman’s absence has been felt as he has made the position on the left side of defence his own.
As for Diaby, the midfielder has become something of an anonymous figure in north London due to a string of injuries and the Frenchman’s groin problem is just the latest in a long list of fitness concerns.
Wenger on Diaby: “He had a little groin problem after [under-21] game so will not be available on Monday” http://t.co/QrpCR2SEYf #AFCvNUFC
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 25, 2014
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