Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker will not play vs. Liverpool
Arsenal will be without its starting centre-back pairing for Monday's contest against Liverpool.
Neither Laurent Koscielny or Per Mertesacker was included in the squad for the match, leaving manager Arsene Wenger to start untested pairing Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers.
.@mertesacker misses tonight's game through illness while @6_LKOSCIELNY is absent with a mild back injury #AFCvLFC pic.twitter.com/pFqA4lYS2U
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 24, 2015
The absence of the two stalwarts marks the first time since April 2012 that both men have missed a league match for the Gunners. That contest ended in a 2-1 loss to Wigan.
There is no word on how long Koscielny's back problem could keep him out of action, but the ailment isn't considered severe.
Regardless, the loss of the Frenchman, even for just one match, is a significant blow, and puts the spotlight on Chambers - something that hasn't happened in quite some time:
Calum Chambers' first Arsenal start since 21 March.
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) August 24, 2015
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