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Gunners To Play W/Ham Without Eight First Team Players

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Lukas Podolski, Nacho Monreal, Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky and Laurent Koscielny are all doubts for Tuesday’s home clash with West Ham. The casualty list is a result of the Gunners’ FA Cup semi-final match against Wigan on Saturday.

Left back Monreal is the biggest doubt while Koscielny and Rosicky  will both have another fitness tests on Tuesday morning to assess whether they will be in the Gunners quad.

Boss Arsene Wenger knows his biggest danger against West Ham is fatigue after his players had 120 minutes against Wigan on Sunday and they cannot afford slip-ups in the battle for fourth place.

Wenger said: “I cannot give you complete team news because many of them have to be checked today. We have plenty of uncertainties for muscular problems and fatigue.

“Who could be available who was not in the squad on Saturday, maybe Rosicky, we’ll have to test him today, maybe Koscielny, we’ll have to test him definitely today.

“There are plenty of uncertainties, I have to make up my mind late on.

“[The] main uncertainties are Monreal who had to come off. Podolski had a little problem but I think he will be alright, then Oxlade-Chamberlain because he was not even supposed to play on Saturday. Ramsey who had to come off for muscle tightness. They are the main problems.

Podolski, who had to have a dislocated finger put back in during the FA Cup semi final, is expected to be fit despite a muscle problem.

There was also good news for Jack Wilshere as Wenger is confident that he will play again before the end of the season.