Arsenal face defensive crisis for Southampton trip with four central defenders out
Laurent Koscielny is Unai Emery's only centre-back available for the clash against Saints
ARSENAL head coach Unai Emery is without four central defenders for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Southampton.
Laurent Koscielny is the only recognised centre-back available but has only just returned from a long-term Achilles problem.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi are suspended while Rob Holding (knee) and Konstantinos Mavropanos (groin) are injured, with striker Danny Welbeck (ankle) and midfielder Emile Smith Rowe (hip) also sidelined.
Southampton will be without injured defenders Ryan Betrand and Jack Stephens for Sunday’s Premier League game with Arsenal.
Left-back Bertrand is recovering from a back problem, while centre-back Stephens has a knee issue.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, who takes charge of his first game at St Mary’s, is boosted by the return to fitness of strikers Danny Ings (hamstring) and Shane Long (ankle), and right-back Cedric Soares (calf).
Southampton provisional squad: Leno, Cech, Bellerin, Jenkinson, Lichtsteiner, Koscielny, Monreal, Medley, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Elneny, Torreira, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah.
Arsenal provisional squad: McCarthy, Gunn, Forster, Soares, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Hoedt, Bednarek, Valery, Targett, Hojbjerg, Davis, Romeu, Lemina, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Redmond, Gallagher, Long, Gabbiadini, Austin, Ings. Obafemi.