Team News: Mesut Ozil only on Arsenal bench

Mesut Ozil has only been included among the substitutes for Arsenal's Premier League trip to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City this afternoon.

The German playmaker was left out of the squad for the 4-1 victory over Sunderland after enduring a miserable Champions League night against Bayern Munich.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that his £42m signing is "refreshed" after his rest, but has still preferred versatile forward Lukas Podolski in his attacking midfield trio today.

Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny have both shaken off niggles to start in defence, while Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky get the nod over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who joins Ozil on the bench.

Potters manager Mark Hughes has made only one change, reinforcing his midfield with Steven N'Zonzi rather than swapping absent striker Peter Odemwingie with a like-for-like replacement.

Robert Huth is nearing a return to fitness following knee surgery, but is not fit to feature in Staffordshire, where Stoke have only lost one of their five Premier League meetings with Arsenal.

Stoke: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters; Walters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Adam, Arnautovic; Crouch Subs: Sorensen, Muniesa, Palacios, Guidetti, Etherington, Wilkinson, Ireland

Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Wilshere; Rosicky, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud Subs: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Flamini, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Sanogo

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