Arsenal’s missing men

Arsenal’s pre-season campaign gets underway on Friday against Ligue 2 side Lens, but they will be without a number of key players after their exploits on the international stage this summer.

It’s a well-trodden path for Gunners’ stars after major tournaments under Arsene Wenger, with the Frenchman eager to give his international players time off before the new season begins.

After their 2014 World Cup success, Germany trio Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski were all absent for the opening game of the season and with Arsenal well represented at the latter stages of this summer’s Euro 2016 and Copa America, it could be a similar story this time around.

“You consider the rest time because France had a long, long go and I believe that they need four weeks’ holiday because they need to recover from that,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.

“It takes you two or three weeks to regenerate…to recover completely, and they need to come back with hunger. That disappointment to lose a final, it takes some time to recover from that.”

If Wenger is true to his word it would rule at least five first-team regulars out of the Gunners’ pre-season preparations and possibly their season opener against Liverpool, which is live on Sky Sports on August 14.

Here we take a look at the potential absentees…

Olivier Giroud

Wenger has confirmed Giroud will not return for pre-season training until a week before the Premier League season starts.

The France international has been granted four weeks holiday after helping his national team reach the final of Euro 2016, and with Danny Welbeck injured it leaves the Gunners short of options up front.

It is no secret Arsenal are on the hunt for a striker in the transfer market but, after missing out on Jamie Vardy, and so far coming up short in their reported pursuit of Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain, it leaves Chuba Akpom as the club’s only fit recognised striker, although Theo Walcott could fill in up front if required.

Laurent Koscielny

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