West Brom vs Arsenal team news and starting line-ups: Mesit Ozil misses Premier League New Year's Eve clash

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James Benge31 December 2017

Mesut Ozil has been left out of the Arsenal squad for the visit to West Brom due to a knee injury.

The German playmaker has not missed a Premier League game since illness ruled him out of the visit to Burnley in late November, but a knee problem sees him miss today's clash at The Hawthorns and become a slight doubt for next week's EFL Cup clash against Chelsea.

Ozil's absence sees Alex Iwobi start in attack alongside Alexis Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette, while Granit Xhaka has retained his place having overcome a thigh injury that threatened to sideline him.

The Swiss international ended Thursday’s 3-2 Premier League win over Crystal Palace in some discomfort after stretching for a challenge in midfield, and had to be replaced by Ainsley Maitland-Niles before the game was over.

But Xhaka took part full training on Saturday and continues his run of featuring in the starting XI in every one of Arsenal’s 21 League games this season.

His fitness is all the more important for Arsene Wenger with Aaron Ramsey unavailable both for today’s game and the visit of Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium for Wednesday's EFLCup semi-final first leg.

West Brom XI: Foster, Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs, Phillips, Livermore, Barry, Brunt, Rodriguez, Robson-Kanu

Subs: Nyom, Yacob, Myhill, McClean, Burke, Krychowiak, McAuley

Arsenal XI: Cech, Koscielny, Chambers, Mustafi, Bellerin, Xhaka, Wilshere, Kolasinac, Sanchez, Iwobi, Lacazette

Subs: Mertesacker, Ospina, Walcott, Welbeck, Maitland-Niles, Coquelin, Elneny