(Reuters) - Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has returned to full training ahead of Sunday's Premier League game at Manchester City after scans confirmed he has not suffered a fractured jaw, the north London club said.
Koscielny was caught by a stray boot from Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku in the FA Cup last week, and the French defender did not play in Arsenal's 2-1 Premier League home win over Cardiff City on Tuesday.
Arsenal said scans revealed only "bruising and soft tissue swelling" to Koscielny's face and jaw, giving manager Unai Emery the option of picking him amid a defensive injury crisis.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who injured his ankle against United, will be sidelined until the end of the month while Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin are out for the season with knee injuries. Stand-in full back Ainsley Maitland-Niles' right knee will be assessed ahead of the trip to Manchester.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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