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da premier bet： The Ivory Coast have confirmed that Nicolas Pepe arrived at their training camp with an injury picked and has therefore pulled out of the side.
What’s the story?
Les Elephants will play two friendlies in the next week against Benin and Tunisia, and Gunners winger Pepe had been included in the 26-man squad.
However, he has returned to his club with an unknown issue, and will now spend the international break recovering in an attempt to be ready for the next Premier League match against Watford.
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Should have kept Mkhitaryan
The 24-year-old has made a good start to life at the Emirates Stadium, as his 7.26 WhoScored rating from the first four league matches indicates. That on its own means that Unai Emery would miss his record-signing should he be unavailable.
Apart than that, though, there is an issue with the other options the former Sevilla boss has at his disposal, or rather the lack of. Right now, Pepe is the only experienced right-winger in the squad. Reiss Nelson is classed as a right-winger, but has been selected on the opposite flank in both of his starts this term even when Nicolas Pepe was not in the stating line-up, so clearly his manager sees him as a better option on that side.
Until recently, they did have a player on their books who could at the very least provide good cover, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan is now out on loan at AS Roma in Serie A. The 30-year-old has made 101 appearances in his career at right-wing, and as such, would have slotted in nicely in the potential absence of the first choice.
Instead, Emery will have to reshuffle his pack and may even feel the need to change formation entirely. Whilst the Armenia international was never likely to be a starting XI regular this season, Arsenal were naive to let him depart without bringing in a specialist back-up option. It could be a difficult period ahead if Pepe’s problem is serious.
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