Arsenal above the rest



Jack Wilshere is expected to miss Arsenal's crunch Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund this week with an ankle injury, while there are doubts over Kieran Gibbs.

Wilshere was not part of the squad that defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Emirates Stadium on Saturday and manager Arsene Wenger said afterwards he had "an inflamed ankle".

He rolled his ankle in training on Thursday but it is his left rather than his previously troublesome right, which had been the cause of the 17-month absence that hampered the England international's early career.

Reports suggest Wilshere could miss several matches with the problem but, asked about the issue, Wenger said only: "I will follow the medical advice.

"He came in on Friday and was not available. We kept him out of the training. On Saturday he had a session but inside on the bike and we will see on Monday morning how he is."

It is thought left-back Gibbs will also miss the game at Dortmund after he was substituted against Liverpool, with Nacho Monreal likely to deputise.

"Gibbs has a calf problem," Wenger said. "I don't know exactly how bad it is."

Arsenal face a potentially pivotal game at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday, with the Gunners, Dortmund and Napoli all tied on six points in Champions League Group F.

Mikel Arteta is confident that his side can secure a result in Germany despite losing 2-1 to Juergen Klopp's men at the Emirates Stadium.

Asked if Dortmund had been the better team in the previous meeting, he told his club's official website: "No. We conceded a goal when we were on top in the game, and were likely to score a second to kill the game.

"We know in the Champions League against those teams you are limited to small chances, and it was our fault [that we lost]. It is a massive game again. We knew this week was going to be very tough, so beating Liverpool is a good way to start it. Dortmund will be a very different game, with the way they play, so we will have to get ready for it."

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