Arsenal injury news: Gunners confirm Olivier Giroud did not suffer concussion

Arsenal have confirmed that Olivier Giroud has not suffered a concussion after a nasty clash of heads with West Ham United defender James Tomkins.

The Gunners suffered a 2-0 defeat to their London rivals at the Emirates in their opening game of the season on 9 August. The incident took place in the 74<sup>th minute when both players went for the header in West Ham's half as Arsene Wenger's side were chasing the game.

Giroud and Tomkins slumped to the floor after the French international took a blow to the back of his head. Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal turned his teammate to the side for safety, before the medical staff could attend both the players.

The match was delayed as Giroud and Tomkins received treatment and both players were reportedly not seriously injured. However, early reports had suggested that the Gunners star picked up a concussion, which was later rubbished by Arsenal.

"Update on Olivier Giroud: contrary to some reports, he was not unconscious at any point after collision today and has returned home as usual," Arsenal tweeted.

Before the start of the last season, the Premier League had introduced new rules while dealing with head injuries. A player suffering from head injury must leave the pitch and the decision whether he is capable of continuing will be decided solely by the club's doctor.

Meanwhile, the Emirates club enjoyed a brilliant run in the pre-season, before defeating Chelsea in the Community Shield. However, they failed to replicate that form in the season-opener.

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has urged his teammates to bounce back in their upcoming clash following their defeat to West Ham. The Gunners face Crystal Palace in the next fixture on 16 August.

"It's very important. We want to have a better start than last season so we need to be very cautious of the situation. To start with a game like that is not good but to bounce back is even more important now," Mertesacker told Arsenal's official website.

"Sometimes it's hard to explain. We played a great pre-season but that is absolutely nothing. I've said that before already, especially after the Community Shield game.

"That's reality now. It's a massive loss for us because we had great confidence and now it's time for us to settle down, stay healthy and look forward to next Sunday," the defender added.