Further to the earlier team news as per the official website, Arsenal are holding their breath over three important first team players ahead of tomorrow’s game against Liverpool.
Despite Robin van Persie playing just 45 minutes for Holland against England on Wednesday, Wenger revealed the captain has a groin problem which needs further assessment.
As well as that, the boss was unhappy that Thomas Vermaelen, who carried an ankle problem into Belgium’s friendly with Greece, was played for the full 90 minutes of a game which meant nothing and looks to have aggravated the injury.
Speaking at his pre-Liverpool press conference, Wenger said, “I do not know if they will play”, before blasting the timing of the international friendlies.
“For example, we had Gervinho going to the Africa Cup of Nations. You lose the player for a month. He goes again on Wednesday night to play for the Ivory Coast in the Ivory Coast. It is absolutely ridiculous.”
“He came back yesterday but I couldn’t use him until now, basically, because he is tired from the Africa Cup of Nations.
“I’m always in favour of using the players for official games and I never asked any player not to put in 100% for his country when it is a qualifier or big competition.
“Personally I think international friendlies are becoming more difficult to accept. It’s difficult to understand that our players had to go away when injured, it’s disrespectful to the players.”
Reports say Wenger is threatening to report Belgium for their treatment of Vermaelen, the question of course is ‘to who?’
And while insisting players attend international camps may well be disrespectful to the players, it’s also disrespectful to the clubs who pay their players wages and should have a greater say over their involvement in internationals. At the very least they should be able to veto call-ups for friendlies and non-competitive games.
Wenger also revealed that Tomas Rosicky is likely to be fit for tomorrow’s game, despite a groin problem which actually kept him out of midweek international action, while Aaron Ramsey is out for another couple of games with his sprained ankle.
There was some good news though, with the mythical Abou Diaby being available again. Having been out for so long it is almost as if his return is similar to that of a player who has been purchased during the period when the transfer window is open.
If only there were a short way of saying that.
DIABY!!!!!!!!! LANS!!!!!!
The transfer window never shuts while Diaby’s around.
like a new signing!!
Not sure if anyone’s ever noticed this, but he reminds me a bit of Vieira.
i love the photo! but i think he’s probably shouting aarrghhh!
Or it’s the Tottenham game, Bale has just dived and Wenger is calling him a cunt
So Diaby is officially a PWHBPDTPWTTWIO?
Could catch on.
Yeah! Like a New Signing Diaby!
Diaby. New signing, Yay!
Diaby just needs to make it to 28 and then he’ll become invincible, as seems to be the way with our medical team. RvP and Rosicky are now almost indestructible….
Thank fuck arsene obviously has some sway with the french national team as koscielny and sagna didn’t play. Belgian coach is as disgraceful as the timing of the friendlies.
well, not really, in case of Sagna maybe, Blanc didn’t nominate Sagna because he deemed him not being match fit yet. Koscielny isn’t first choice fpor France anyways, not with Mexes back.
That’s what they think..Koscielny shits all over Rami,Mexes or whoever it is..But glad he wasn’t picket..LOL
mexes and rami have been the cb choice of blanc all the qualification and both have been very impressive in a team who havent lost in 15 game. Kos is number 3 and have to wait his turn.
Debuchy put a MOTM performance at right back vs germany and could well be taken sagna position .Lot of rench supporter would prefer debuchy as he is much better going foward than sagna
Much better than Sagna???? Ha, they were saying that about that Brazilian Donkey until monkey head Bale made him look bad against in two game. This French no body NEVER better than Sagna? wait until he plays a player like Moneky head and make him switch wings to avoid him and we will see. Surely, our Sagna is the most underrated right back in world football. As for Kos, we know, he knows they know he is better than both of them, it is just that old saying, don’t change a winning team. But wait till the French meet a… Read more »
maybe you need to chill out cygan,i dont say or the french people say sagna is rubbish but debuchy is much better going foward than him this is a fact . Kos is now on par with both Rami (the best french cb for the last 3-4 years) and Mexes .And yes they have settle for now for the duo Rami-Mexes and please you should check before posting crap the french has not lost in 16 game and they have play the like england (away) germany(away) brazil(home) all win . For my liking i much prefer our player dont play… Read more »
Friendlies? Big deal!!!! Now you talking Crap. I remember England under Erikson went 20 odd games playing top nations and look what happened to them!!!! French team they qualified the hard way out of a CRAP group, and a team that recall no body like Saha at 34 is not a team you can talk highly of!!!!. France at the moment full of no bodies, in fact Malouda still gets a game for them is a crime against French football. And, I never said anyone called Sagna rubbish, and one game doesn’t make that player better than Sanga. Just look… Read more »
Fingers crossed that this time they have constructed correctly this time and left no bits out again…
If only there were a short way of saying that..
hahhhaha.. you kill me arseblog 🙂
FG sometimes you acltauly make me lolyour analysis of the situation is fine, right up to the moment we consider that you’re only analysing the negative and completely ignoring the positive. so for example, hauling the team from the brink of a disastrous season to being favourites for third (beginning of feb nobody thought we’d end up in teh top 4 remember, and as for august ). picking up talent like kos, that everyone else missed, and getting the best out of him. RvP a Wenger signing that plenty of gooners harboured doubts over for his temper and injury record.… Read more »
I hate internationals. Hate them. They’re only ever an opportunity for our players to mix with scumbags and come back broken.
I don’t know why we don’t just pull the same trick as Moan U – XYZ player has a bad throat/broken fingernail/sore arse, which by some miracle they manage to recover from by the weekend.
I hate them as well but at least Agger
is out and possibly Gerrard so this
time it’s not just us who have suffered
Swelcome back LANS. The downpart is that: he could be a LANS in 2weeks time as well.
SPARTA !!!
It’s a good thing that we’ve got Chamakh and Park as back-up strikers. That’s why we didn’t buy back in January.
Ahh lolocopters
LANs?
On the 7th day of the 7th month on the 7th year the rare and mythical diaby will appear for one game only… the most rarest of all the pokemon.
You never know. It could be an attempt to deprive Arsenal of their best defender against Liverpool.Can you guarantee it isn’t the case.
Oh I forgot to add. If vermallen had to play the full 90 mins he could just be a passenger.That’s the way to get at some of these FAs.
“the mythical Abou Diaby”
You kill me every time blogs
Great to see Diaby back. For how long I don’t know but I’d like to see him go injury free.
I’d also like to propose NANS when our current players are referenced as LANS>
“Not Another New Signing!”
It’s ok that Vermaelen had to play 90 minutes of Belgium’s friendly, they need it because it’s the last chance for the players to form an understanding on the pitch before the euros. Oh wait they’re not even qualified, so it’s completly meaningless. Well but at at least we it’s not like our 3rd and 4th choice center back are injured, and we can’t move Song back because Le Coq, Frimpong, Wilshere and Ramsey are already injured. Oh wait, yes they are! What an unbelievably respect less and cuntish decision, i bet the belgium coach is a bitter spud. Ha… Read more »
I remember a few years ago UEFAlona applied for Messi to get “Special Permission” to be withdrawn for friendlies, it got granted. Suppose though, one rule for them, and a different one for the rest of us…
You have to lay some of the blame for Vermaelen’s treatment at the feet of Mr Wenger. If he was injured, or suffering from a knock, Wenger should have made him pull out. He had legitimate reason to do so.
Yes, let’s blame global warming to Arsene as well.
when I read quotes by wenger I read them in his voice
I’m personally very excited to have diaby back for the ‘pool game, winning header last season comes to mind, he probably won’t feature though what with zero match minutes this year. Either way I really like his game, physically he’s the perfect footballer, and you just know he’ll come good eventually….I don’t see arsene sticking with him for nothing
If only there was a short way of saying that hahahahahaha priceles!!!
To be fair though, Arsene played Andre Santos is a meaningless Champions League and look what happened to him.
Diaby is back??Is this supposed to be good news??The only player we are missing is Wilshere IMO…Diabies,Chamakahs etc can go tom!!
[…] of both Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen yesterday, due to their international involvement. The boss was unhappy about the fact he lost players all week long to go play in games that mean nothing, perhaps summed […]