Arsenal midfielder Sambi Lokonga has confirmed he will miss Arsenal's pre-season game against Nurnberg due to injury.
Mikel Arteta's pre-season tour gets underway next Thursday at the Max-Morlock-Stadion in Nuremberg before travelling to the United States where they will face Premier League rivals Manchester United.
The Gunners will then return to England at the beginning of August to take on Monaco in the Emirates Cup, before they face Manchester City in the Community Shield.
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However, Lokonga has not travelled with the squad to Germany amid speculation that he will leave the Emirates this summer.
The 23-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Crystal Palace, but has stressed he wants to play more regularly next term.
When asked about his future in an interview on Wonhee hyung, the Belgian replied: "I don’t know. I will try to go somewhere where I can play so that’s the most important thing for me - to have some games and play game after game."
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Lokonga only managed 15 appearances for Arsenal last term before being shipped out to Palace on loan, where he initially thrived under Patrick Vieira, but later lost his place under Roy Hodgson.
Lokonga confirms muscular injury
Lokonga confirmed the injury news o a post on Instagram which read: "Due to a muscular injury, I’ll sadly not be part of the summer camp with the team in Germany.
“I’m [focused] now on my recovery to prepare the season and be ready to help the team at my fullest capacity.”
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According to The Sun Arsenal are trying to sell Lokonga, with Burnely boss Vincent Kompany a long-term admirer of the player, but both clubs are finding it difficult to strike an agreement, meaning another loan move may be more likely.
Meanwhile, the recent signing of Declan Rice will all but diminish Lokonga's chances of playing first-team football at the Emirates next season, with his Arsenal future up in the air.
Topics: Arsenal, Football, Mikel Arteta, Premier League
Joe Adams