Alexis Sanchez could return to the Arsenal team for their Premier League trip to face rivals Liverpool as manager Arsene Wenger says he is unaffected by transfer rumours concerning the Chilean.
Forward Sanchez, with less than a year remaining on his current deal at the Emirates Stadium, has been consistently connected with a move away this summer.
He could walk away for free at the end of the current season if no new deal is agreed but Wenger has insisted several times Sanchez will not be sold, although links with Manchester City persist.
The fact Sanchez has missed Arsenal's opening three games of the new campaign has only fuelled rumours he is set to depart, but now Wenger is ready to involve him at Anfield.
A combination of illness and an abdominal strain saw Sanchez sit out the Community Shield win over Chelsea and Premier League games against Leicester and Stoke - the latter game seeing the Gunners slip to a 1-0 defeat.
Coincidentally, it was at Liverpool last season where Wenger shocked supporters with his team selection as he dropped Sanchez to the bench for a 3-1 loss.
The Frenchman is ready to use Sanchez this time out, following his return to fitness.
"Alexis has worked very hard to be back again and he is available," said Wenger.
"He works very hard, is focused and gives absolutely everything. He loves to play so much that it is sometimes difficult to stop him but he looks absolutely ready.
"He has not played for a long time so I will have to decide what I do with him but he looks ready to play."
While other high-profile Premier League transfer targets have been left out of their respective sides at the start of the term, ahead of the August 31 deadline, Wenger is unconcerned about Sanchez having his head turned by a move.
"He has always been focused on his job, he loves to play football and I don't think he is too disturbed by all the noises that happen," he said.
"Players at that level are used to it now, some deal better with it than others but I don't think he is too bothered by that."
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Monaco's Thomas Lemar during the window, potentially as a replacement for Sanchez if he were to depart.
But Wenger conceded on Thursday that the France international will not be making the move across the Channel as the Ligue 1 champions face losing some of their other title-winning stars.
"It's dead because Monaco have closed the door," he said.
"They are still on cases like (Kylian) Mbappe and Fabinho. They've already lost Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko, so Monaco are at a stage where they have closed the door."
Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has backed new signing Wesley Hoedt to help shore up his side’s defence.
Saints bombed out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 second round defeat to Championship outfit Wolves on Wednesday night.
Lazio centre-back Hoedt completed his Saints move this week, and should be in contention to feature in Saturday's Premier League trip to Huddersfield.
Pellegrino bemoaned Saints' lack of intelligence in defence in Wednesday's Wolves loss, with last term's beaten League Cup finalists falling at the first hurdle this time out.
"I think they were more focused than us in the second half in those 25 minutes," said Pellegrino of Wolves.
"They were more intelligent in defence, that was the difference."
Saints remain intent on retaining want-away defender Virgil van Dijk past the end of the transfer window, despite adding £15.5m man Hoedt to their ranks.
And new Southampton manager Pellegrino now hopes Holland defender Hoedt can have a fast impact at St Mary's.
"Hopefully he can help the team," said Pellegrino of Hoedt.
"He's a young boy, left-footed, with quality. Hopefully he can adapt quickly to the dynamic of the team and can help the team to be stronger."
Huddersfield have strengthened their squad with the signing of right-back Florent Hadergjonaj from Ingolstadt.
The 23-year-old Switzerland international signs on a season-long loan from the Bundesliga 2 side, although the Premier League newcomers have the option to buy him at the end of the season.
Huddersfield boss David Wagner told his club's official website: "It was important in this window that we found a real competitor for the right-back position and in Florent we have exactly the right player."
Swansea defender Kyle Bartley is set to spend two months on the sidelines with a medial ligament injury.
Bartley sustained the injury during the final 10 minutes of Swansea's 4-1 Carabao Cup second-round win at MK Dons on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old underwent a scan on Wednesday and has been ruled out for six to eight weeks.
Swansea say Bartley will see a knee specialist next week to assess the injury further.
Bartley spent last season on loan at Leeds but signed a new four-year Swansea contract earlier this month.
He made his first Premier League start since December 2015 in Swansea's 4-0 home defeat to Manchester United last weekend.
