Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hopeful that Sead Kolasinac will return to first-team contention prior to Sunday’s crunch Premier League encounter versus Manchester City.
The Bosnian footballer had a stormer of a game last Saturday as he contributed a goal and assist in the second half to help the Gunners to a 2-1 comeback win over Swansea City at the Emirates.
Shortly after the match, Wenger confirmed that the former Schalke man sustained a recurrence of a hip problem which he initially incurred during Bosnia’s World Cup qualifier versus Estonia earlier this month.
“It’s a hip problem, a tight muscle in his hip. How long will he be out? I don’t know.
We hope to get him fit for next Sunday,” he told reporters h/t ESPN.
Kolasinac has quickly adapted to the left wing-back spot under Arsene Wenger, and he has typically won over the club’s faithful with a couple of stellar performances in the attack front in particular.
Pep Guardiola’s side are the only undefeated team in the division to date, and Kolasinac’s absence could be damaging as the Citizens have barely put a foot wrong since the start of the season.
The 24-year-old will be offered a much-needed rest in the Europa League tie versus Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night, but Wenger will still hope to progress to the knockout phase of the competition with a positive result over the Serbian champions.
Arsenal scraped through a 1-0 win at Belgrade with an excellent Giroud overhead kick, and the Frenchman will have an influential role to play in midweek with a host of first-team regulars likely to be rested for the clash at the Etihad Stadium.
