Arsenal injury boost: Gunners’ key trio set to return for Villa test

Arsenal have been boosted by the return to fitness of attacking pair Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud.

Both Giroud and Ozil have missed Arsenal’s last two matches – Ozil missing three – but both are fit and ready to play against Aston Villa on Monday.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been injured since the start of the season, should also feature handing Arsene Wenger a triple boost after losing Theo Walcott for the season last week.

“They [Giroud and Ozil] had a good training session yesterday and today they had no problem. They could be back,” Wenger told reporters.

“It is unbelievable because he [Oxlade-Chamberlain] played the first game of the season, against Aston Villa, and now he is back and available and it is against Aston Villa again.

“That makes it five months where has been completely out, so that means he is fresh and that should give us a boost.”

Wenger added that Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey are “very close” to a first-team return and there is a “small possibility” they will be fit to face Villa.

Although there was good news for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil and Giroud, it is likely that Nicklas Bendtner is still around three weeks away from featuring again, with Wenger stating he ‘will be back by the end of January’.