Regular football resumes after the interlull and Arsenal are without at least one of their key players ahead of their clash against Watford on Saturday.

The interlull is over but the Gunners haven’t come through it unscathed. In other news, water is wet.

Shkodran Mustafi is sidelined for four to six weeks with a hamstring injury he picked up during Germany’s 5-1 win over Azerbaijan. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that he probably won’t feature against Watford.

Since Laurent Koscielny is still a doubt and Calum Chambers is out until the end of October with the hip injury he suffered against Doncaster Rovers in the League Cup, that leaves Rob Holding and Per Mertesacker as the only fit out-and-out centre-backs.

mustafi injury
Medical staff help injured Germany’s defender Shkodran Mustafi during the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification football match between Germany and Azerbaijan in Mainz, western Germany, on October 8, 2017. (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

Even so, Kos was in training on Friday. Perhaps Wenger will risk it, perhaps not.

Further forward, Sead Kolasinac appeared to get injured while playing for Bosnia against Estonia. However, despite Arsene Wenger confirming he suffered a small hip problem, the wing-back was in training on Friday so I reckon he could still start. I hope so anyway.

Mesut Ozil (knee) and Danny Welbeck (groin) are back from their respective short-term layoffs.

Welbz is ahead of schedule so Wenger may start him on the bench so as not to risk him. However, I see Ozil starting. He usually does when he’s fit.

Alexis Sanchez is the main player I’ve been going back and forth on as he’ll be extra sulky after Chile failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. However, as a professional, he needs to just get on with it and throwing himself back into football is probably pretty good therapy. Therefore, I reckon he’ll start.

Predicted Arsenal XI (3-4-2-1): Čech; Holding, Mertesacker, Monreal; Kolašinac, Xhaka, Ramsey, Bellerín; Alexis, Ozil; Lacazette.