ARSENAL are sweating over Alexandre Lacazette’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s opener against Newcastle due to an ankle problem. Lacazette, 28, did not travel for last night’s friendly defeat in Barcelona due to the injury sustained last weekend against Lyon. Now he faces a race against time to be ready to play on Tyneside on Sunday […]
ARSENAL are sweating over Alexandre Lacazette’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s opener against Newcastle due to an ankle problem.
Lacazette, 28, did not travel for last night’s friendly defeat in Barcelona due to the injury sustained last weekend against Lyon.
Now he faces a race against time to be ready to play on Tyneside on Sunday when the Gunners’ Premier League campaign kicks off.
Record buy Nicolas Pepe was also left at home for the visit to the Nou Camp following his £72million switch from Lille.
The Ivory Coast star, 24, has been training with his new side but only recently returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty and is likely to start on the bench against Toon.
Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac were involved though for the first time since their car-jacking hell, with the former starting and the heroic Bosnian coming on at half-time.
Ozil’s pinpoint pass played in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who brilliantly blasted Arsenal into the lead on 36 minutes.
Unai Emery went with the same back four as he did against Lyon with Calum Chambers partnering Sokratis.
They managed to keep out Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Co – though Lionel Messi was only watching from the sidelines.
But they were undone when Ainsley Maitland-Niles horribly put past his own keeper midway through the second half, before sub Luis Suarez’s 89th-minute completed the comeback.
The likelihood is the quartet with start on Tyneside regardless of whether the Gunners bring in any more defensive recruits this week.
They have been trying to clinch a deal for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney while centre-back Samuel Umtiti – who started here for Barca – has been linked.
SunSport understands any potential signing in central defence is not dependent on whether Laurent Koscielny departs.
