Community Shield: Arsene Wenger confirms Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck out of Chelsea clash

Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will miss the Community Shield meeting with Chelsea, the traditional curtain raiser for the new season, with the England international's knee injury drifting into a fourth month.

Welbeck was absent from the Gunners' last six matches of the 2014/15 season, including the FA Cup final win over Aston Villa, and will miss the start of the new campaign with the same issue.

David Ospina is also a doubt for the game with Chelsea having only just returned to full training after helping Colombia reach the quarter-final of the Copa America, while Alexis Sanchez is not likely to return before Arsenal's opening Premier League encounter against West Ham United.

"Ospina has just come back to training today," Wenger told a press conference to preview the Wembley showcase. "Alexis is coming back next weekend. Everybody else should be available apart from Welbeck. The preparation [in pre-season] was compact, short, but physically we are not far away."

Four successive wins this summer ensures Arsenal begin the new season unbeaten, having overcome a Singapore Select XI, Everton, Lyon and Wolfsburg as the north Londoners claimed the Barclays Asia Trophy and Emirates Cup in successive pre-season competitions.

An impressive end to last season saw Arsenal retain the FA Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa and grab third place in the Premier League, guaranteeing qualification for the Champions League group phase.

"We had a good preparation and a good preparation brings confidence," Wenger added. "Of course confidence is important but competition demands performance. It's a good basis to have a good confidence level in the preparation.

"It's our next game and the first trophy at stake. We will want to win the game of course. If you have the choice, when you prepare a team you want a good pre-season. It doesn't give you a guarantee that you start strong in the competition but it's still better for the confidence and the belief of the group.

"Then when it comes down to points, you add that little bit extra of commitment that is demanded in games. "