Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires has suggested that the club's injury list could affect their chances of winning the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners are facing a problem on the right of midfield, with Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott still sidelined through muscular injuries, while long-term absentees Tomas Rosicky, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere also remain out.
Pires has admitted that the number of players missing from the squad is a concern for manager Arsene Wenger.
"We are in mid-November and they are doing well but what can trouble them is the number of players who are out injured," the 42-year-old Frenchman told Omnisport.
"Physically, they feel well. Sometimes, I can see similarities with the football we were playing a few years ago - a football played with pace and fluidity.
"The team has done well particularly in the league. I think they are a team that can win the league at the end of the season."
Pires, who is a free agent, regularly trains with the Arsenal squad to maintain his fitness.
Steven Toplis
