Petr Cech is likely to miss his first Premier League match of the season in Saturday’s North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.

The Arsenal goalkeeper was forced off in the second-half of the 5-1 win against Everton after landing awkwardly and, while manager Arsene Wenger hoped that it was only a kick to the calf, the expectation is that he will not be recovered for Saturday.

It would mean David Ospina coming back into the team after playing almost exclusively in the cup competitions since Cech’s arrival in 2015. Ospina made what was almost a costly mistake when he played in the FA Cup final victory against Chelsea last May, but has since helped Arsenal reach the League Cup final and also progress to the knockout phase of the Europa League.

David Ospina will get a chance in Petr Cech's stead credit: Matthew Ashton/Getty Images

Arsenal expect Nacho Monreal to return to the defence against Spurs on Saturday following illness and he could play either full-back or as a third centre-back, depending on whether Wenger now chooses to change system.

He opted for his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation against Everton on Saturday but, even allowing for how well it worked, there will be a temptation to add a defender or midfielder against Mauricio Pochettino’s team. That could mean sacrificing Alex Iwobi or asking him to play in a deeper role as part of a midfield three.

Arsenal are also finalising their summer preparations and will return to Singapore at the end of July to play in a friendly tournament before further matches in Europe. There will be no Emirates Cup this summer and, while the World Cup will affect preparations for most leading players next season, Arsenal’s two new signings – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – are not involved. That means they are likely to play in Singapore and will have the benefit of a full pre-season.