Yesterday, both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott had to be removed after picking up knocks. Walcott in particular looked bad, crumpling to the ground in the penalty area and looking like he was unable to walk without limping heavily after he had been involved in a challenge. Oxlade-Chamberlain seemed to be struggling with an apparent hamstring problem, and with no midfielders left, Arsenal feared the worst.

Luckily, though, it seems that both are alright. According to the indefatigable Jamie Sanderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain is only suffering from the flu (which he tweeted himself) and Walcott from dead leg.

This is good news, considering Arsenal's injury problems at the moment. Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun both should be back for Newcastle, and the days between yesterday's game and Monday's game gives players like Tomas Rosicky enough time to recover from whatever injuries they are nursing.

Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin and Andre Santos are also close to returning, with Ramsey possibly available for Monday night. With no Champions League football, Arsenal now have a lot of time off in between matches, which is good because it allows players to recover and rest. With the squad getting back to almost full-fitness, Arsene Wenger can have options to rotate again, especially in the midfield.