Arsenal Team News: Injuries, suspensions and line-up vs Everton

Everything you need to know ahead of the Premier League clash at Goodison Park on Sunday

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be fully aware of the threat Wayne Rooney poses when his side face off against Everton on Sunday.

The Frenchman was on the receiving end of Rooney's debut goal for the Toffees almost 15 years ago this month — one which Wenger remembers vividly.

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“He came on and straight away you could see that this guy has special talent. If we speak about him now, it means that he lasted 15 years and at the top level that is absolutely exceptional — you need a special talent for that. Overall I think that sums it up well.

Everton are on a run of disappointing form and without star man Romelu Lukaku, who joined Manchester United in the summer, but Arsenal's poor away form will give hope to Ronaldo Koeman's side.

Wenger's men go into the match off the back of a narrow 1-0 win in Belgrade but memories of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Watford are likely to be lingering ahead of a tricky-looking match up at Goodison Park.

ARSENAL INJURIES

Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey are expected to return to the Gunners starting XI for their trip to Everton.

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Danny Welbeck, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and David Ospina are out until after the international break but Santi Cazorla is unlikely to be involved in first-team matters until the turn of next year.

“Alexis, Koscielny and Ramsey will be alright,” confirmed Wenger.

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“Welbeck is out. He has a groin problem, I think it will be two to three weeks before he is back. He will not be back before the international break.

“Mustafi will not be back before the break, and Ospina as well. Ospina is not very bad, he has a grade one [groin problem] so it’s just a couple of weeks. Mustafi is a bit worse than Ospina.

“Calum Chambers as well will be back after the break, and everybody else is alright.”

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ARSENAL SUSPENSIONS

Arsenal have no players suspended for this game.

ARSENAL POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP

Wenger could decided to bring back Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez into the starting XI for the game against Everton.

Alexandre Lacazette is likely to start up top while Granit Xhaka and the returning Aaron Ramsey will partner each other in central midfielder.

The wing-backs will be Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac while Rob Holding, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal appear likely to make up the back three.

EVERTON TEAM NEWS

Everton may be in 16th place but a win against Arsenal on Sunday could see them close the gap on the Gunners to two points.

Toffees boss Ronald Koeman was criticised for his team selection in the Europa League defeat to Lyon on Thursday as the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney and Phil Jagielka were rested.

James McCarthy is fit and available for selection but Seamus Coleman, Yannick Bolasie, Ross Barkley and Ramiro Funes Mori are all out injured.

Koeman's last victory in the league was almost a month ago against Bournemouth but he will be confident coming up against an Arsenal side who have a poor away record.

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BEST OPTA MATCH FACTS

Everton have won two of their last four Premier League home games against Arsenal (D1 L1), having failed to win any of the previous six against them at Goodison Park.
Arsenal have won 11 Premier League away games against Everton — only at West Ham and Aston Villa (12 each) have they won more.
There has been a red card in three of the last four Premier League meetings between these sides (Laurent Koscielny in May 2017, Phil Jagielka in December 2016 and Gareth Barry in October 2015).
Arsenal have beaten Everton more times than any other club has beaten another in English Football League history (94 wins).
Arsene Wenger has beaten Everton 30 times in all competitions as Arsenal manager — more than he has against any other side during his time at the Gunners.
Since the start of last season, Arsenal have both given away and conceded 11 goals from the penalty spot, more than any other current Premier League side.
Wayne Rooney’s first Premier League goal was against Arsenal in October 2002 — he has scored more Premier League goals against the Gunners than any other player (11).