Arsenal injury news: Lucas Perez out with fitness doubts over Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal

Arsenal face Sunderland on Saturday short of another striker after Lucas suffered ankle ligament damage

Arsenal go into Saturday’s Premier League encounter with Sunderland having suffered a fresh injury blow after striker Lucas Perez was ruled out until Christmas with an ankle ligament injury suffered in their EFL Cup victory over Reading on Tuesday.

Lucas will miss up to eight weeks after picking up the injury on a rare start for Arsenal since his £17m summer move, with manager Arsene Wenger speaking on Friday morning to confirm the injury and express his frustration at what he labelled “a deliberate kick” from Danzell Gravenberch on the Spaniard.

But the absence of Lucas is not the only concern of Wenger’s ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, as he confirmed that he has fitness concerns over Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott and Nacho Monreal, with the trio set to be assessed ahead of the trip to the north-east.

Cazorla suffered an Achilles injury in the win over Ludogorets last week, while Walcott and Monreal are struggling with hamstring and muscular problems respectively.

However, there was good news for Wenger in that Olivier Giroud came through his substitute appearance on Tuesday unscathed and could feature this weekend alongside midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who Wenger confirmed is fit enough to return after a two-and-a-half month absence.

Ramsey suffered a hamstring injury on the opening weekend of the season in the 4-3 defeat by Liverpool, and his return has been delayed by Wenger in order to give the Welsh midfielder the full pre-season time period that he was not afforded following Euro 2016.

Granit Xhaka remains suspended for the encounter following his red card against Swansea, while Per Mertesacker remains a long-term absentee as he will not return until the end of the year, along with Danny Welbeck.