Newcastle vs Arsenal: Why Lacazette, Pepe may not feature in EPL opener -

Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has hinted that new signing Nicolas Pepe and striker Alexandre Lacazette, are unlikely to start their Premier League opener against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Pepe arrived from Lille in the close season, after the Gunners paid a reported £72million fee for the winger.

However, fans might have to wait a week or two, before they see him in the starting XI, while Lacazette is struggling with an ankle injury.

“We played progressively in pre-season, including some players later.

“We are going to start on Sunday with the players I am very, very convinced are 100 per cent [fit].

“For some players, it’s impossible to achieve that performance for us because they arrived later, they’re starting training with us after one injury. Lacazette, for example, he started training with us yesterday [Thursday].

“For Sunday, I don’t know now [whether Lacazette will be fit], tomorrow [Saturday] we will check.

“The same with Pepe, he is working and training with us for a week. Progressively I want them to feel good with their partners, with their coaches, with us.

“It’s different to how he was training in Lille. I want to give him the best moment to make his debut with us. Maybe it can be Sunday, I will decide [on Saturday],” Emery told reporters in his pre-match news conference today.