Welbeck misses Bayern clash after becoming ill during warm-up
In north London, when it rains it pours.
Slated to start on the left wing for Tuesday's Champions League second-leg clash with Bayern Munich, Arsenal's Danny Welbeck instead missed out after becoming ill during the warm-up.
There were suggestions the versatile attacker had sustained an injury of some kind, but he clarified the situation on Twitter during the contest:
No injury, no tweak, just ill at the wrong moment. Devastated I couldn't play tonight.
— Danny Welbeck (@DannyWelbeck) March 7, 2017
Welbeck was subsequently been replaced in the starting XI by Olivier Giroud, with Sanchez dropping back into a three-man attacking midfield alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott.
Tuesday marked Giroud's third Champions League start of the campaign after featuring in the starting XI against Ludogorets and Paris Saint-Germain. The stately Frenchman scored in both of those outings.
If that's a good omen, Welbeck's absence will have the opposite effect. Tuesday was scheduled to be the England international's first Champions League appearance this season after a protracted return from knee surgery saw the 26-year-old return to first-team duties on Jan. 7 in the FA Cup against Preston North End.
Down four goals on aggregate after the 5-1 drubbing in the reverse fixture at the Allianz Arena, it's likely Welbeck will have to wait until next season for a chance to partake in European competition.