Arsenal will be without the services of star duo Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin for their clash against Manchester United. Premier League football returns after a week of international break and Arsene Wenger and his men will make a trip to Old Trafford to face the Red Devils on Saturday.
In their previous match, the Gunners settled for a point against their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur during the north London derby at the Emirates. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and Bellerin picked up an injury following a tackle from Danny Rose in the final minute of the match.
Also read: Arsenal news: Theo Walcott may miss clash against Manchester United
Bellerin out for four weeks; Cazorla still not in training
The latest setback forced the full-back to withdraw from Spain’s Under-21 squad and it was earlier reported that he will miss the rest of the month's fixtures with injury. The Frenchman confirmed Bellerin's latest setback, which will see him spend the next four weeks in Arsenal's treatment room.
"Hector is out for four weeks. He got injured in the last 10 seconds against Spurs after a very strong tackle by Danny Rose," Wenger stated during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.
Bellerin's compatriot Cazorla is also not available for selection. On the Spanish midfielder, Arsenal manager said: "Cazorla is still out. I don’t know exactly how long for. He’s still not even out in training yet."
The last time these two sides met each other at Old Trafford saw United struggling with injuries. Louis van Gaal was at the helm and lack of options forced him to start with Marcus Rashford.
Rashford to replace Zlatan
The teenage England international was on the scoresheet twice and even assisted Ander Herrera's goal as United sealed a 3-2 win. Rashford could also lead his side's attack against the north London club as Jose Mourinho is without the services of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic is suspended for the tie after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in United's 3-1 win over Swansea. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager will be looking to make sure his unbeaten run against Arsene Wenger remains intact on Saturday.
Arsenal have never managed to beat a side that is managed by Mourinho. If the media reports are to be believed, the two managers do not share a good relationship. However, the Frenchman admitted that he will shake the United manager's hand on Saturday.
"Of course. I respect the ritual that is so important in the Premier League. Look, I don’t think I have to describe our relationship. He will fight for his team and I will fight for my team and I think that’s completely normal," the Arsenal manager added.
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