Arsenal
have opted to leave six first-team regulars in London ahead of their
final Champions League group stage match against Olympiakos Piraeus in a
bid to avoid fatigue, manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.
Midfielders
Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, forwards Lukas Podolski
and Theo Walcott as well as defender Per Mertesacker were all missing
from Arsenal’s 18-man squad named to travel to Greece for Tuesday’s
match.
Wojciech
Szczesny, Thomas Vermaelen, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, and
Gervinho will be surrounded by fringe and youth team players, five of
whom are yet to make their first-team debut.
“Some
players needed a rest because they were a bit on the fringe of injury,
and some players are injured,” Wenger told club website
(www.arsenal.com).
“When
I count the injured players I speak about Podolski and Walcott. We
needed to rest Wilshere, 100 per cent, and Cazorla, Arteta and
Mertesacker played many games recently. They have been rested.
“It
is (to avoid fatigue), and we have one luxury, that we can do it. But
we have as well one necessity, to win the game tomorrow night. I tried
to find the right balance between resting some players and as well
having a competitive team tomorrow night.”
Arsenal
have already guaranteed their passage through to the last 16. They can
top Group B if they win and German side Schalke, who lead the English
club by one point, draw or lose against French champions Montpellier.
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