Alexandre Lacazette is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for Sunday’s opener against Newcastle after missing Arsenal’s final pre-season clash against Barcelona.
The Gunners are sweating on the French striker’s availability for the trip to St James Park due to the ankle injury sustained in the friendly against Lyon last Friday, with Unai Emery to make a late decision on his availability.
Having missed Wednesday’s victory over Angers, Lacazette also missed yesterday’s 2-1 defeat at the Nou Camp - Luis Suarez scoring a last minute winner after Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ comedy own goal cancelled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener.
His exclusion is said to have been a precautionary measure, with Emery hopeful of having his forward ready for the game against Steve Bruce’s men.
He has been training with the rest of his team-mates back at Arsenal’s London Colney HQ and will accelerate his regime this week.
With new £72million record signing Nicolas Pepe, who also missed last night’s trip to Spain, not expected to be fit to start the trip to the north east, Emery will be desperate for Lacazette to be available this weekend.