Wenger concern for ‘deeply affected’ Koscielny

Laurent Koscielny: May miss WBA game

Laurent Koscielny: May miss WBA game

Arsenal Wenger says Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has been “deeply affected” by last week’s Paris attacks and may not be mentally ready to face West Brom.

The France defender played in the 2-0 win over Germany in Paris last Friday, where 129 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks on the French capital.

The Parc de Princes was attacked in a coordinated plot and three suicide bombers struck at the ground as they tried to gain entry to the stadium, where France were hosting Germany.

The 30-year-old defender also lined up at Wembley in France’s 2-0 defeat to England on Tuesday, but his lacklustre display has concerned Wenger and he confirmed he needs to assess the centre-back’s state of mind.

“I have not spoken to him yet but I will talk with him (before the weekend) to see if he is recovered and focused,” Wenger said at a press conference.

“He had a fantastic game against Germany and you could see he was not himself on Tuesday. It affected him deeply. I did not recognise the player I saw on Tuesday night.

“I will look how deeply they are affected. Sometimes it hits you more two or three days later than on the night. Then, you try and protect yourself, or you do not know what is going on.”

Wenger also said he will hold talks with striker Olivier Giroud, who scored against Germany, to see if he was still traumatised by last week’s attacks.

“Slowly, you realise the shock comes a bit later. They (Koscielny and Giroud) have gone through that game, but I will talk to them and see how much they are up for it,” added Wenger.