Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal are ready to handle Stoke’s physical approach but sought to play down tensions ahead of the game by insisting “it’s a football game, not a hate game”.

Potters defender Ryan Shawcross has raised the stakes ahead of tomorrow’s match by claiming Stoke supporters “dislike Arsenal so it’s going to be a tasty game.”

The Gunners have not won at Britannia Stadium in four visits dating back to 2010, when the visitors won 3-1 in a match marred by Shawcross’ leg-breaking tackle on Aaron Ramsey.

Shawcross claims Arsenal can expect another intimidating atmosphere but Wenger said: “I think that’s exaggerated. It’s a football game, it’s not a hate game. You want to focus on playing football.

“In our job, it's difficult to be surprised by anything [anyone says]. We are in a job where you have risks. The physical risk is part of our job, we accept that. What you want is to go into a game with everybody being 100 per cent committed but fair. After, you accept that any accident can happen. You do not want to have any suspicions before the match starts. That's not very good.

“We can handle the physical side of the game and we have a good opportunity to show that tomorrow.”

Nacho Monreal is unavailable with an ankle problem which could see the left-back ruled out for several weeks, while Kieran Gibbs is battling to be fit due to a hip injury. Laurent Koscielny is a doubt with an ongoing inflammation of his Achilles which flares up after matches but goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has returned to full training today and could feature.

Alexis Sanchez is set to start as he looks to extend a fine opening to his Arsenal career having scored 14 goals in 22 games, the latest of which earned the Gunners a late win over Southampton in midweek.

The Arsenal manager admits Sanchez is being stretched by the physical demands placed on him - “in the red zone” in Wenger parlance - and said his involvement will be carefully managed over the course of the campaign.

How Alexis Sanchez compares to Arsenal's previous big money signings 5 show all How Alexis Sanchez compares to Arsenal's previous big money signings 1/5 Alexis Sanchez The Tasmanian devil-style intensity was there from the outset but in the first couple of weeks Sanchez struggled to provide a clinical touch in the final third. However, acclimatising to his new surroundings did not take long as since scoring his first goal against Besiktas, the £35million signing from Barcelona has been prolific, netting 14 times in 22 games. That first goal ensured Arsenal qualified for the Champions League group stage, setting the tone for his importance to the team: one goal to earn a point at Leicester, both in a 2-0 win at Sunderland, a further brace in a 3-0 win against Burnley — the list of significant strikes for his new club is already lengthy. The test will be whether he can maintain the intensity so integral to his game, particularly over the busy festive period, but a testament to his impact is the thought of just how far adrift Arsenal would presently be without him. Getty 2/5 Mesut Ozil Ozil’s arrival heralded the end of Arsenal’s inability to compete at the top end of the transfer market with debt now driven down following their move to Emirates Stadium. A bonafide world star arrived and his impact was immediate, registering four assists and two goals from his first eight Premier League games. However, his languid style quickly attracted criticism when he became a peripheral figure, particularly in big matches, while injury compromised his influence in the latter part of the season. A knee problem has sidelined the German for 12 weeks this season, preventing further assessment of his adaptation. However, consider this: detailed Opta passing statistics — which take into account not just the number of passes but how influential they are in a game — rated Ozil as the best passer in the 2013-14 season, ahead of Samir Nasri and David Silva. 3/5 Danny Welbeck Welbeck’s transfer added much-needed depth to Arsenal’s options up front but the jury is still out on whether he represents a significant upgrade on Olivier Giroud. The 24-year-old left Old Trafford with a point to prove after Louis van Gaal claimed Welbeck “is not at the level” of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney and although his work ethic and movement have been good, there are still questions to answer about his effectiveness against the top sides. In three seasons at United, Welbeck played 21 times (including 15 starts) against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool and scored only once. He has integrated to Arsenal’s style quickly and his pace is a notable weapon, especially in tandem with Sanchez and Theo Walcott, but his return of three Premier League goals from 11 starts — against Aston Villa, Hull and West Brom — must improve to silence the doubters. Getty 4/5 Samir Nasri He arrived in England with a reputation as “the new Zinedine Zidane” and quickly set about making his mark with a goal four minutes into his debut on the opening day of the season to earn Arsenal a 1-0 victory against West Brom. Although injury interrupted his integration, Nasri still scored both goals as the Gunners beat fierce rivals Manchester United in November 2008 and although his influence was sometimes intermittent, he made 44 appearances in his debut season, scoring seven times and registering five assists. The Frenchman was unable to prevent Arsenal finishing fourth — 18 points behind United — but he would go on to become a consistent presence in the Gunners’ midfield before opting to join Manchester City in 2011. His quality was obvious from the outset but Nasri was not able to produce immediate consistency in his performances as Sanchez has done this season. Getty 5/5 Andrei Arshavin Perhaps the story of Arshavin’s career at Arsenal should serve as a note of warning to those heaping Sanchez with unqualified praise. The Russian playmaker was superb during his first calendar year in England, mesmerising defences with a low centre of gravity that enabled him to weave with ease through the smallest of spaces. Wenger quickly voiced his admiration for Arshavin, going as far as to say “I love him” on more than one occasion. That love was surely never stronger than when, barely three months after joining the club, Arshavin scored all four goals in a remarkable 4-4 draw at Liverpool. He scored five goals in his first nine games of the 2009-10 season for the club but gradually his impact diminished over the period of his four-year contract. Whether it was due to a lack of application or Wenger’s insistence he play on the left wing, Arshavin became a shadow of the player previously witnessed by the Gunners’ fans. His departure back to Zenit, initially on loan in 2012, was a relief to all parties. Getty 1/5 Alexis Sanchez The Tasmanian devil-style intensity was there from the outset but in the first couple of weeks Sanchez struggled to provide a clinical touch in the final third. However, acclimatising to his new surroundings did not take long as since scoring his first goal against Besiktas, the £35million signing from Barcelona has been prolific, netting 14 times in 22 games. That first goal ensured Arsenal qualified for the Champions League group stage, setting the tone for his importance to the team: one goal to earn a point at Leicester, both in a 2-0 win at Sunderland, a further brace in a 3-0 win against Burnley — the list of significant strikes for his new club is already lengthy. The test will be whether he can maintain the intensity so integral to his game, particularly over the busy festive period, but a testament to his impact is the thought of just how far adrift Arsenal would presently be without him. Getty 2/5 Mesut Ozil Ozil’s arrival heralded the end of Arsenal’s inability to compete at the top end of the transfer market with debt now driven down following their move to Emirates Stadium. A bonafide world star arrived and his impact was immediate, registering four assists and two goals from his first eight Premier League games. However, his languid style quickly attracted criticism when he became a peripheral figure, particularly in big matches, while injury compromised his influence in the latter part of the season. A knee problem has sidelined the German for 12 weeks this season, preventing further assessment of his adaptation. However, consider this: detailed Opta passing statistics — which take into account not just the number of passes but how influential they are in a game — rated Ozil as the best passer in the 2013-14 season, ahead of Samir Nasri and David Silva. 3/5 Danny Welbeck Welbeck’s transfer added much-needed depth to Arsenal’s options up front but the jury is still out on whether he represents a significant upgrade on Olivier Giroud. The 24-year-old left Old Trafford with a point to prove after Louis van Gaal claimed Welbeck “is not at the level” of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney and although his work ethic and movement have been good, there are still questions to answer about his effectiveness against the top sides. In three seasons at United, Welbeck played 21 times (including 15 starts) against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool and scored only once. He has integrated to Arsenal’s style quickly and his pace is a notable weapon, especially in tandem with Sanchez and Theo Walcott, but his return of three Premier League goals from 11 starts — against Aston Villa, Hull and West Brom — must improve to silence the doubters. Getty 4/5 Samir Nasri He arrived in England with a reputation as “the new Zinedine Zidane” and quickly set about making his mark with a goal four minutes into his debut on the opening day of the season to earn Arsenal a 1-0 victory against West Brom. Although injury interrupted his integration, Nasri still scored both goals as the Gunners beat fierce rivals Manchester United in November 2008 and although his influence was sometimes intermittent, he made 44 appearances in his debut season, scoring seven times and registering five assists. The Frenchman was unable to prevent Arsenal finishing fourth — 18 points behind United — but he would go on to become a consistent presence in the Gunners’ midfield before opting to join Manchester City in 2011. His quality was obvious from the outset but Nasri was not able to produce immediate consistency in his performances as Sanchez has done this season. Getty 5/5 Andrei Arshavin Perhaps the story of Arshavin’s career at Arsenal should serve as a note of warning to those heaping Sanchez with unqualified praise. The Russian playmaker was superb during his first calendar year in England, mesmerising defences with a low centre of gravity that enabled him to weave with ease through the smallest of spaces. Wenger quickly voiced his admiration for Arshavin, going as far as to say “I love him” on more than one occasion. That love was surely never stronger than when, barely three months after joining the club, Arshavin scored all four goals in a remarkable 4-4 draw at Liverpool. He scored five goals in his first nine games of the 2009-10 season for the club but gradually his impact diminished over the period of his four-year contract. Whether it was due to a lack of application or Wenger’s insistence he play on the left wing, Arshavin became a shadow of the player previously witnessed by the Gunners’ fans. His departure back to Zenit, initially on loan in 2012, was a relief to all parties. Getty

“Unfortunately you never know how far you can push (a player),” he said. “We are not scientific enough to predict that completely, but he has a great recover potential. He recovers very quickly, is always sharp and wants to play.

“He is in the red zone, you can see that when he plays, but he can dig deep. I think he played his 27th game on Wednesday since the start of the season, if you consider the international games and the traveling on top of that.”

Meanwhile, Wenger confirmed Abou Diaby will be offered a new contract should he prove his fitness.

The 28-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of the season and he has made just two appearances in the last 21 months having spent the majority of that time on the sidelines with a cruciate knee ligament injury and is currently unavailable due to a calf complaint.

Wenger said: “Abou Diaby is on the fringe of coming back into full training but he is not there yet. He has a calf problem. His injuries are never severe but little Grade Ones. He is not available yet. If Diaby is fully fit, he will have a new deal at Arsenal.”

Wenger also confirmed Arsenal’s interest in Ipswich defender Tyrone Mings but despite rumours of a £10million move in January, the Frenchman insists no deal is imminent.

“We are not on any special case,” he said. “We are on a few young players, yes, that we always follow. He is one of the players we follow, but we are not close to signing anybody at the moment.