Wilshere Likely To Be Rested Against Monaco

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere looks set to be rested for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Monaco after ankle surgery.
.
Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Mikel Arteta (ankle), Abou Diaby (calf) and Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) are unavailable.
.
Monaco have injury worries over left-back Layvin
Kurzawa and winger Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco.
Midfielders Jeremy Toulalan and Tiemou Bakayoko
and defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Andrea Raggi
are out.
.
Monaco, who qualified for this stage by topping
Group C having conceded one goal, have not played
Arsenal before but the French league club have done
well against English opposition in knockout rounds
previously.
.
In 1997, they eliminated Newcastle from the Uefa Cup to earn a place in the semi-finals, and then knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League the following year at the same stage.
.
Under coach Didier Deschamps, Monaco beat
Chelsea in the semi-finals to reach the 2004
Champions League final.
.
Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov, 34, is
likely to lead Monaco’s attack, despite scoring only
six league goals in 18 matches.
.
“He is used to playing at a high level, although he is
not at his best at the moment. But if he is in good
condition, he can put on a real show for the fans,”
said Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim.
.
“I prefer to see him play less matches, but with more
intensity. He is a high-quality player and remains the
number one striker.”
.
Having lost Radamel Falcao to Manchester United on
loan and sold James Rodriguez to Real Madrid,
Monaco have struggled for goals, scoring only 26
goals in 25 games. They won Group C despite only
scoring four goals in six games.
.
Arsenal have been eliminated at this stage of the
tournament for the last four years, twice by Bayern
Munich and once each by Barcelona and AC Milan.