Videos Live Scores Podcasts Opinion Interviews Business of Sport Inside Story Football Cricket Tennis Formula One Golf NBA UFC UAE Racquet Sports Fitness

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Arsenal debut in doubt as sickness strikes

David Cooper

13:55 02/02/2018

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may be forced to wait to hand club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang his debut after the Gabon striker missed training on Friday due to illness.

Aubameyang joined the Gunners from Borussia Dortmund in a £56 million switch on Wednesday, but may be forced to sit out Saturday’s visit of Everton.

“Aubameyang was sick, so we will assess him,” said Wenger on Friday.

Arsenal are hoping Aubameyang can reignite his prolific partnership with former Dortmund teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who also joined from Manchester United last month as part of the deal that took Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford.

A unusually busy transfer window for Wenger also saw Olivier Giroud join Chelsea, while Theo Walcott could quickly come back to haunt the side he played with for over a decade when he returns to the Emirates in an Everton shirt.

Out-of-favour Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi also joined Dortmund to complete a striker swap triangle between the two London sides and the German giants.

“It was difficult because of course Dortmund needed a replacement,” added Wenger on the drawn-out deal for Aubameyang.

“It was a cryptic deal because Giroud went to Chelsea and Batshuayi went to Dortmund. That is why it was short in time and tense until the end.”

A frantic few days was rounded off when German playmaker Mesut Ozil ended speculation over his future by signing a new three-year deal on Thursday.

“Many predicted Ozil would not commit but it is good news for Arsenal,” said Wenger.

“The fact you can keep a player of that calibre is good news.”

More from english-premier-league

Watch: Big ONE Championship wins for Lebanese brothers, Moroccan delivers big upset

ONE Fight Night 22: Turkey’s Halil Amir has sights set on ONE Championship Gold

From Morocco to Abu Dhabi: Zakaria El Jamari’s incredible martial arts journey

French-Algerian Anissa Meksen gets chance to be first to claim new ONE Championship gold

Adrian Lee’s ONE Championship debut confirmed as he looks to further family legacy

NBA 3X ABU DHABI an unparalleled success with legends LaMarcus Aldridge and James Worthy in attendance

Most Popular