Published: 22 October, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

ARSENE Wenger has hinted that he could ring the changes ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash against Everton, with injury and exhaustion taking its toll on his Arsenal squad. 

The Gunners revived their Champions League hopes in thrilling fashion on Tuesday by netting a crucial 2-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium. 

But the victory came at a price, with Aaron Ramsey limping out of the action just before the hour mark with a hamstring injury. The full extent of Ramsey’s injury isn’t yet known, but there are fears the Wales midfielder is facing four to six weeks on the sidelines. 

Wenger also hinted that he’s ready to rest star player Alexis Sanchez for the evening kick-off against the Toffees after admitting that the energetic Chilean looked tired against Bayern. 

“Aaron is definitely out of the Everton game,” said the Arsenal boss. “He is all right, but very down because he told me that his hamstring is quite a tough one. 

“As for Alexis, you could see he was a bit jaded physically on Tuesday night. 

“He pushed himself so much he finished the game exhausted. 

“The two international games with Chile, plus all the travelling, plus last Saturday’s game at Watford, plus Bayern, it is too much.” 

One option that could tempt Wenger is to push Theo Walcott back out to the right wing for a game or two, and hand rejuvenated Olivier Giroud the central attacking berth. 

Giroud followed up the goal he scored at Watford on Saturday by coming off the bench to break the deadlock against Bayern, and Wenger knows he must take advantage of his in-form striker. “I would give him some credit because being on the bench is not easy,” he said. “He always played and then he had a bit of a dip in form. I have seen that, in the last two weeks, he is coming back to his best. The focus he brings and the spirit he shows is that he is a winner. 

“He gives us a different option. When it does not work on the ground he gives us options in the air and both Walcott and Giroud I like. 

“I just have to use both of them in the right way.”