Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
tom dutton

Nicolas Pepe pushing to make Arsenal debut in Premier League opener against Newcastle

Nicolas Pepe is pushing to make his Arsenal debut against Newcastle in their Premier League opener against Newcastle on Sunday.

The Gunners begin their top flight campaign at St. James' Park following a successful transfer window during which they added six players.

Pepe's club-record £72million arrival from Lille was arguably the headline deal of a busy summer for Unai Emery.

The 24-year-old has not had a full pre-season following his participation in the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, though he could still feature at Newcastle.

A statement on the Arsenal website said: "[Pepe is] Regaining full match fitness following late return from African Cup of Nations. Decision to be made on participation for Sunday."

Meanwhile, Alexandre Lacazette is on the verge of a return after injuring his ankle during the Emirates Cup in north London last month.

The France international has not feature since but will be assessed ahead of Sunday's meeting with Steve Bruce's side.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.