Arsenal without Giroud for EFL Cup quarter-final

Olivier Giroud will miss Wednesday's EFL Cup quarter-final against Southampton due to a groin injury, but Lucas Perez is ready to make his comeback from an ankle problem.

France international Giroud was expected to start after having to settle for a spot on the bench behind Alexis Sanchez in recent weeks.

Giroud's absence could see Arsene Wenger give Perez the nod, with the Arsenal boss planning to field a mixture of first-team players and youngsters.

"Lucas is in the squad," Wenger was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

"We will have a mixture of youth and experience, but still 90 per cent of the first-team squad."

Mathieu Debuchy, meanwhile, is also unavailabe due to a hamstring problem, with the wing-back to undergo a scan on Tuesday.

"Mathieu has a scan Tuesday, but we do not have the results yet," Wenger added.