Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski will miss start of Arsenal's season

The German trio will be rested when Arsenal start their campaign

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that the German trio of Mezut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski will miss the start of Arsenal’s Premier League season.

Germany won the World Cup in Brazil this month and Wenger wants to ensure that the three German Gunners get ample time to rest before playing a part this season or risk losing them to injury or fatigue later in the season.

Wenger said: “I have a decision to make, do I bring them early and play them straight away and lose them in October or November or do I give them the needed rest to recover and get the hunger back?”

“So I have chosen the second solution knowing that it is a bit risky because on top of that we have the qualifier for the Champions League group stage and they might not be ready for that.”

Arsenal play their first official game of the season on August 10 when they take on Manchester City in the Community Shield. And the trio won’t report for training until August 11. Their first Premier League fixture is on August 16 against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger admitted that resting key players was a risky move but was necessary. He did say that Mertesacker could play in the Champions League qualifiers though.

Not enough time between World Cup and next EPL season: Wenger

“The distance between the final of the World Cup and the start of the Premier League is too short,” said Wenger.

“And that is why it is very difficult to predict how everyone will cope with that because the preparation time is too short and the rest time is too short.”

“A guy who is coming off a high of winning the World Cup, you can not ask him three weeks later to fight for his life when you are going to Swansea or to Stoke, it takes some time to recover.”