Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny is a fitness doubt for their match with Stoke City this weekend after aggravating his back injury on international duty.
The 29-year-old missed Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool at the end of August, although he did return for the 1-0 win over Newcastle United prior to the break.
But Kosicleny was left on the bench for France’s 2-1 friendly victory over Serbia on Monday amid concerns that his psoas muscle injury had flared up.
Koscielny insisted after the game that there was no major issue, but the Gunners will assess the problem upon his return to England and judge whether he can play against the Potters.
Should the Frenchman not be fit for Stoke’s visit to the Emirates Stadium, Per Mertesacker will partner Gabriel Paulista in defence after overcoming his illness.
Kosicleny, who joined Arsenal for £8.5m in 2010, has made 23 international appearances since his 2011 debut for Les Bleus and was part of their 2014 World Cup squad.
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