Arsenal without quartet for Manchester City as Wenger praises 'extremely strong' Santi Cazorla

Arsenal will remain without the quartet of David Ospina, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck for Sunday's (5 November) high-profile clash with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Back-up goalkeeper Ospina has been prevented from deputising for Petr Cech in successive Europa League meetings with Red Star Belgrade and the Carabao Cup fourth round victory over Norwich City due to a grade one groin injury. Youngster Matt Macey has being given an opportunity to impress in his absence.

Striker Welbeck, meanwhile, has not featured since limping out of the last-gasp defeat to Watford on 14 October with an apparent hamstring issue. That was his first game since recovering from a groin problem sustained at Chelsea, which has kept him out for a month.

"They are not far, Danny is not far and David is in training as well but the Man City game will come too early for them," Wenger told Arsenal Player in a team news update that came in lieu of a press conference, due to his team's Thursday night European exertions.

On centre-back Mustafi, who suffered a thigh muscle injury while on international duty for Germany in their final 2018 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan earlier this month, he added: "City is too early as well for him, we have to be a bit more patient with him. Normally all three should be available after the international break."

Versatile defender Chambers is now back in full training after recovering from a hip complaint, with Wenger declaring that the 22-year-old, whose sole appearance of the season to date came in an injury-curtailed 45-minute cup outing against Doncaster Rovers in September, will be "available after the international break as well".

There was no further update on the fitness of powerful wing-back Sead Kolasinac, who suffered a recurrence of a hip injury during an impressive display in the comeback defeat of Swansea City.

Wenger said earlier this week that the popular summer signing, who would not have played against Red Star anyway due to his manager's rotation policy, would require a further test at the end of the week and that his issue was not as bad as first feared.

Santi Cazorla interview

Long-term absentee Santi Cazorla remains out, although is confident that he will be ready to return in 2018 Year after more than 12 months of injury hell.

The Spaniard recently detailed the full extent of his horrendous battle with a right Achilles issue that required eight operations and led to the player developing gangrene and a serious infection that claimed eight centimetres of his tendon and sparked fears over a possible amputation.

Asked for his thoughts on what was a revealing interview with Cazorla in Friday's edition of Spanish national daily sport newspaper Marca, Wenger said: "I have been in touch with Santi throughout his rehab, and it has been extremely tough and testing for him.

"If there is one guy who loves football passionately, loves to be on the pitch, and comes in with a smile every day when he is fit, it's Santi Cazorla, so you know he suffers a lot not to be out there with the ball at his feet.

"He is extremely strong and brave, and behind his smile is a strength you would not guess. He is a very strong character, and everyone at Arsenal wishes him well and we hope to have him back soon."