Aaron Ramsey ArsenalGetty Images

Arsenal team news: Injuries, suspensions and line-up vs Manchester City

Arsene Wenger has the opportunity to win his first ever Carabao Cup in England when Arsenal face Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.

Wenger's trophy haul includes two Premier Leagues and seven FA Cups, yet it is the League Cup which has proved difficult to crack over the years, with final defeats to Chelsea in 2008 and Birmingham three years later.

The Gunners are currently in sixth position, with their top-four hopes looking slim as it stands and a trophy success before the end of the season could prove just the tonic to kick-start Arsenal's campaign.

Arsenal had to overcome Chelsea in a tight semi-final clash while City narrowly beat Bristol City over an entertaining two-legged affair.


ARSENAL INJURIES


Aaron Ramsey is expected to be available for selection on Sunday and Wenger will assess how the Wales midfielder performs in training over the coming days.

Alexandre Lacazette is sidelined with a knee injury, although his return has been shortened to "four weeks from now, maybe three and a half weeks" according to Wenger.

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"We’ll see how Ramsey's evolution goes now from today until Sunday," Wenger told Arsenal.com 

"I don’t rule him out yet, it depends on how well he can improve with the intensity of training until Sunday.

"Ideally, you want to have the choice but our job is about adaptation and very rarely in your life are you in an ideal situation where you have the luxury of choosing from all the players in your squad. We will adapt. Ideally, I would like him to be available but we’ll see."

Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla remains a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury.


ARSENAL SUSPENSIONS


Arsenal have no players suspended for this game.


ARSENAL POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP


Henrikh Mkhitaryan is cup-tied for the Wembley final, which opens up the possibility of Alex Iwobi starting in a front three with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil.

Ramsey's return from injury is a welcome boost and if he's passed fit to start then he could be involved with fellow midfielders Jack Wilshere and Granit Xhaka also available.

Wenger may decide to field a defensive midfielder to provide further balance to the midfield, with Mohamed Elneny or Ainsley Maitland-Niles able to slot in ahead of what is likely to be a back four.

David Ospina continues in goal as Arsenal's 'cup keeper', while Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal look set to continue in the full-back spots.

Arsenal XI

MAN CITY TEAM NEWS


Fabian Delph is suspended for Sunday's match after receiving a red card in City's 1-0 defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup. The Englishman is likely to see his place in the line-up taken by Brazilian defender Danilo.

Gabriel Jesus is back in training following his recovery from a knee ligament injury, although he wasn't included in the travelling squad which lost at Wigan on Monday.

Sergio Aguero is the club's top scorer with 29 goals to his name so far this season.

Sergio Aguero Manchester CityGetty Images

BEST OPTA MATCH FACTS


  • This is Arsenal’s eighth League Cup final – they’ve lost more than any other side in the history of the competition (5), winning the tournament twice in 1987 and 1993.

  • Manchester City will be making their sixth appearance in the League Cup final, and third in the last five seasons. They’ve won four of their previous five, failing only in 1974.

  • This is the first ever meeting between these sides in a major final. Arsenal have won both previous meetings with Man City at Wembley – 3-0 in the 2014 Community Shield, and 2-1 in last season’s FA Cup semi-final.

  • Arsene Wenger has won just three of his previous 12 managerial meetings with Pep Guardiola, drawing three and losing six.

  • Of the 13 players who played for Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup final defeat to Birmingham, only Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere are still at the club.

  • Wenger is aiming to become the eighth different manager to win all three of the English top- flight, FA Cup and League Cup after Bill Nicholson, Joe Mercer, Don Revie, George Graham, Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish and Jose Mourinho.

  • Sergio Aguero has scored in each of his last four appearances against Arsenal in all competitions (4 goals in total). Only twice before has he netted in five consecutive games for Manchester City against a single opponent (Tottenham with a run ending in May 2015 and Sunderland in a run ending in March 2017).


TV COVERAGE & KICK-OFF TIME


The match kicks off at 16:30 GMT on Sunday, with live television coverage available on Sky Sports in the UK.

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