Arsenal vs Chelsea: Big blow as five star players to miss the London derby

Arsenal will welcome European champions Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium, as they get set to do battle on Matchday Two action in the 2021/2022 Premier League season.The Gunners lost their opening game 2-0 away to Brentford, while Chelsea got their campaign up and running with a 3-0 triumph over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.As both sides seek to earn bragging rights in the latest installment of the North West London Derby, a couple of players have been ruled out of the encounter.Arsenal confirmed that four players namely: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Willian all tested positive for Covid-19, though Aubameyang and Willian could feature on Sunday if they recover in time (which looks unlikely at the moment), while the other two (Lacazzette and Runarsson) are confirmed to be out of contention. Joining them on the sidelines are defender Gabriel (knee injury) and Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey (ankle problem).As for Chelsea, they will welcome big Belgian hitman Romelu Lukaku – who is making his second debut for the club. Manager Thomas Tuchel could also see the return of Frenchman N’Golo Kante in midfield and Englishman Reece James in defence.Players who are absent for the Blues are Christian Pulisic – who tested positive for Covid-19, Hakim Ziyech – who injured his shoulder in the UEFA Super Cup win over Spanish side Villarreal (though, he might return) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.