Arsenal injury news: Danny Murphy urges Arsene Wenger to play Santi Cazorla up front and start Mathieu Flamini

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has urged Arsene Wenger to play Santi Cazorla in the number 10 role and move Mesut Ozil on the right-wing in order to ease the injury woes at Arsenal. The Gunners are without eight first team players after the star duo of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott joined the injury list.

Wenger saw his side suffer a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup. Walcott replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain early in the match after the latter was withdrawn due to a hamstring injury.

The England forward also limped off with a calf injury. Wenger revealed the duo will be out for three weeks and will return after the international break in November. Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain join Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Danny Welbeck, Mikel Arteta and David Opsina, who are all sidelined with injury.

The Arsenal manager is short of options on the right wing for the clash against Swansea City. Wenger hinted that either Joel Campbell or Alex Iwobi could start at the wide position against the Welsh club. Murphy has urged the Frenchman to field Mathieu Flamini alongside Francis Coquelin in the heart of the midfield, which could allow Cazorla to move in the number 10 role.

"Ozil is playing brilliantly at the moment and I know some Arsenal fans will question why you would want to play him out of position when he is playing so well. Well, needs must I'm afraid," Murphy told talkSPORT.

"That would then free up the number ten role for Santi Cazorla, who is probably Arsenal's most creative force in terms of his ability to see a pass.

"That leaves a hole next to Coquelin but it leaves a hole for someone who can help him with the defensive side and the obvious candidate for that is Flamini. I know as well as all the Arsenal fans that Flamini isn't the answer every game for a full season but for the sake of a month [he could be].

"I saw him score the winner and play brilliantly at White Hart Lane. He is getting older but for the next few games, or up until the next set of internationals, I would put Flamini next to Coquelin and tell them not to move, especially for that big game in Munich.

"Let Cazorla edge forward a bit more, stick Ozil on the right wing for a few weeks, and then [Olivier] Giroud of course will play up front because Walcott is out. I don't think it is all doom and gloom. It is manageable for now," he added.