No new injuries for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Sunday's Premier League visit of Bournemouth.
Manager Arsene Wenger will pick from the same squad that drew 2-2 against Paris St Germain on Wednesday night, although the likes of Theo Walcott, Granit Xhaka and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be pushing to start.
Wenger admits Xhaka, signed this summer for a fee in the region of B#34million, is still adapting to life in the Premier League.
"He needs to adapt, then we need to find the balance," Wenger said.
"We have the positional play, he plays in a deeper lying midfield position, he passes through the lines. He needs to adapt to the way we play and the tactical pace of the English game. I am confident he will do very well.
"If you look at Thierry Henry at the start when he came here, he was not playing. He did not play until November, he was as well 23 years old. We are in November now."
None of the Gunners' injured players are fit enough to return with Santi Cazorla (Achilles), Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee), Hector Bellerin and Lucas Perez (both ankle) all out.
Bournemouth will be without on-loan midfielder Jack Wilshere, who is not eligible to face his parent club.
Goalkeeper Artur Boruc faces a late fitness test on his back problem, so Adam Federici could come in again, while midfielder Andrew Surman has been struggling with a hamstring injury.
Defender Adam Smith returns from a one-match suspension and midfielder Jordon Ibe is expected to be available following illness. Australia defender Brad Smith (foot) and midfielder Lewis Cook (ankle) both continue their rehabilitation.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has long been a fan of Arsenal and the methods of Wenger, but hopes to beat them at their own game on Sunday.
"I have been a big fan of their style of football for a number of years in terms of how they play and how loyal they are to their philosophy - win, lose or draw, they will continue to do the same things, but do them better," Howe said.
"The integrity of the club and the manager, how he conducts himself, I am a big fan of the club in a number of ways.
"Naturally as a player I would watch the top teams and aspire to be those top players. Arsenal were a side I watched a lot to find ways to improve my own game.
"Since becoming a manager I do the same thing. You watch the top teams and look at how you can get your team closer to that, so Arsenal, along with a number of other clubs, have had a big influence on my football ideas.
"I would say there are slight similarities between how we play and how they play, but I would not say we are identical. There are differences in players and ideas, but we are following the same paths, I think."
Source: PAR
