Arsenal will be without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette as they begin their Premier League campaign against Brentford this evening.

The club captain did not taken part in first team training in either of the last two days and The Athletic claim the 32-year-old is struggling with an illness, along with his striker partner Lacazette.

Aubameyang contracted malaria last season while on international duty with Gabon and returned a shadow of the player who had almost singlehandedly fired Mikel Arteta’s side to FA Cup success a year ago.

Indeed, the former Borussia Dortmund star has scored just one goal in his last 11 competitive games for Arsenal and failed to find the back of the net in any of his five appearances during pre-season.

Speaking about Aubameyang’s recent struggles, Arteta said on Thursday at his pre-match press conference: ‘Since he came back he looked in the right mindset and he’s trying to put last season, which was difficult for everybody and not just for him, for many different reasons, and go back to the level that he can achieve.

‘Because he knows and we know that with his level, this team can achieve much better thing.’

Reports earlier on Friday claimed that such has been his demise, Arsenal are now willing to listen to offers for the former Premier League Golden Boot winner.

Lacazette, whose own future is a matter of conjecture, would have led the line but he too will miss out and with Eddie Nketiah also injured, Arteta’s options are severely limited.