Arsene Wenger Confirms Key Arsenal Pair to Miss Premier League Clash With Brighton Through Injury

Mesult Ozil and Laurent Koscielny have been ruled out of Sunday's Premier League home clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger confirmed that the duo would be absent from his squad selection as he spoke to the press (via the Daily Express) on Friday afternoon.

Ozil was not part of the Gunners' travelling party for Thursday's Europa League bout against BATE Borisov, and was also left out of Germany's 23-man squad for the upcoming international batch of fixtures due to an unknown problem.

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Centre-back Koscielny, meanwhile, was not passed fit due to an issue with his achilles - an injury Wenger revealed had been a sore point for the 31-year-old for a while.

He said: “Mesut Ozil will not be available for Sunday. Very short-term. He is not far, but he is not enough for Sunday. We have a doubt about Laurent Koscielny unfortunately and he will have a test tomorrow. It’s an Achilles problem, it’s ongoing."

Koscielny's absence is not expected to affect Arsenal's defensive options, however, with Wenger confirming that every other member of his backline was available to play. The Frenchman did admit to having concerns over Sead Kolasinac, but the summer recruit from Schalke should be fit enough to feature against Chris Hughton's Seagulls.

Wenger added: “I think everybody else should be available. Sead Kolasinac had some problems, but he is available. That’s basically it.”

The north Londoners will also be without Danny Welbeck and Francis Coquelin due to groin and hamstring injuries, but forward Alex Iwobi could play a part if he manages to overcome a thigh strain in time.

Arsenal will be looking to make it seven games unbeaten in all competitions ahead of October's international break with either a win or draw against Brighton.