Alexis Sanchez plays the clown in Arsenal training ahead of tough test at home to Everton in which Aaron Ramsey will be absent

• Having beaten Bayern Munich at the Emirates on Tuesday, Arsenal now take on Everton at home on Saturday
• Aaron Ramsey will not feature against the Merseysiders - he has been ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury
• Arsene Wenger says he should not have played in Wales' last game and he regrets playing him against Watford

By John Downes For Mailonline

Published: 09:01 EST, 23 October 2015 | Updated: 10:28 EST, 23 October 2015

Having defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium earlier this week, Arsenal players were in jovial spirits in training on Friday as they put in the final preparations ahead of their Premier League match at home to Everton on Saturday.

Gunners' Chilean maestro Alexis Sanchez pretended to clean left back Nacho Monreal's boots, while Bayern goal heroes Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil beamed as they posed for the camera.

Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey will not feature against Roberto Martinez's Merseysiders in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday as he has been ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury.

Arsenal maestro Alexis Sanchez (right) pretends to clean Nacho Monreal's boot in training as Hector Bellerin smiles in the background

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) runs away from Ismael Bennacer (right) with the ball at Arsenal training in London Colney

(From left to right) Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud (left) pose for the camera as Mesut Ozil (right) pumps his fist in celebration

Frenchman Francis Coquelin (left) competes with compatriot Laurent Koscielny (right) to win the ball in training, as Monreal looks on

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he asked England boss Roy Hodgson to be cautious with Theo Walcott in the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania as he feared the artificial pitch in Vilnius could cause an injury.

Walcott scored against Estonia at Wembley on October 9, and he then travelled with the rest of the squad to Lithuania ahead of the Three Lions' final qualifier tie on the 3G surface at the LFF Stadium.

However, the 26-year-old, who had been in good form for both club and country, was an unused substitute as Hodgson's somewhat experimental side coasted to a 3-0 victory.

Wenger confirmed he had a direct conversation with the England boss concerning how to best manage Walcott, who was sidelined for almost a year following a knee injury which ruled him out of the 2014 World Cup.

'I cannot call every national coach after every game to ask them not to play the players,' said Wenger.

'We had a conversation about Theo, because England were playing on an artificial pitch. In the end the decision was left to Roy Hodgson, but I didn't speak to (Wales manager Chris) Coleman (with regard to Ramsey).

'We asked him (Hodgson) to consider being cautious, and to speak to Theo to ask him how he felt.... because they (England) played on an artificial pitch, Theo had come back from a long-term injury and basically nobody wants to play on artificial pitches, as we know.'

Ex-Gunner star Robert Pires adorns the club's current training gear as he watches a training session at their St Albans base

(From left to right) Calum Chambers, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain chat while stretching before their session on Friday

Petr Cech stretches out a left hand to make a save during a training practice prior to Arsenal's game with Everton on Saturday

Wenger regrets not resting Ramsey after seeing the midfielder suffer a fresh injury following his return from an intensive spell of duty with Wales.

As revealed by Sportsmail earlier this week, Ramsey faces around a month on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring problem during the second half of the Bayern victory on Tuesday night.

Wenger accepts he should have given Ramsey a breather at Watford last weekend, but remains unimpressed by Coleman's decision to play the 24-year-old for 90 minutes against Andorra in Cardiff on October 13.

Both Ramsey and Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, himself carrying an injury concern, scored in the match, before which qualification for the Euro 2016 finals was already secured.

Aaron Ramsey has been ruled out for a month after suffering a hamstring injury against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night

Theo Walcott watches over his stricken team-mate during the Champions League victory against the Germans in north London

'Aaron Ramsey, after international break, he has a chance to be back, so it is a three to four weeks job,' said Wenger, whose side host Everton on Saturday.

'Maybe he was overloaded a little bit with games. Ideally I think not him nor Bale should have played against Andorra, because they were qualified, but unfortunately I could not decide that.

'I was in a position after that where I thought I could rest him against Watford. In the end I didn't do it and of course after, against Bayern, I had not much choice and we got punished.

'Ideally he should have had a breather, or at Watford. Realistically, the real breather he could have had was against Andorra.'

Asked if he now regretted playing Ramsey at Watford, where he scored in the final goal of a 3-0 win, Wenger said: 'Yes, because he got injured.'

Arsene Wenger believes neither Ramsey or Real Madrid's Gareth Bale should have played in Wales' final Euro qualifier against Andorra

Wenger admits that he should not have played the Welsh midfielder against Watford last weekend; he scored Arsenal's third goal

Wenger accepts clubs are somewhat powerless to prevent international managers from deploying their players in whatever manner they deem fit.

'It is a point of friction between clubs and national teams,' said the Gunners boss, who in the past has seen the likes of midfielder Jack Wilshere sidelined with problems sustained while away with England.

'I understand, when it's official games, you do not want to interfere in that because the country is important and they have to win the games.

'Once they play friendlies, or games where there is nothing at stake, you think they should accommodate the clubs as well.

'It is difficult because it is sometimes common sense and you cannot predict every single situation with a rule. It is more down to a good co-operation between clubs and countries that is important.'

Arsenal could move top of the Premier League if the Manchester clubs take points off each other in this weekend's derby

Arsenal resumed domestic action looking to move to the top of the Barclays Premier League, with leaders Manchester City taking on rivals United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Wenger is confident his side, who sit second in the table, two points off the pace, can maintain their momentum for what would be a fourth straight Premier League victory.

'Overall we are in a good run and that can help the level of confidence and belief going into the next game,' he said.

'You gain credibility through consistency and when people think this could be a game where we could slip a bit and you respond in a positive way.

'It shows that our consistency is questioned by many people which is not based on mathematics and statistics, but more on preconceived ideas and it is down to us to change people's minds. The longer we last (at the top), the more people will give us credit for it.'

Olivier Giroud, who came on to score as a substitute again against Bayern, is competing with Walcott for the striker's berth

Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score against Bayern, just as he had done at Watford.

England forward Walcott has, though, retained his place at the head of the attack.

'It is always hard,' said Wenger. 'They are top players, I consider the form, the game on the day.

'At the end of the season both will have played their share of games, but at the moment it is Theo (starting), in a few weeks it might be Giroud. What is important is that both contribute.' 

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