Per Mertesacker could make a return to the Arsenal first team fold sooner than expected with German publication Bild claiming the centre-back is due to return to training later this week.
The giant defender has been sidelined for two months since rolling his ankle at Sunderland, but despite undergoing surgery has made swift progress with his rehabilitation.
It remains to be seen whether Mertesacker forces his way back into contention, however, with Johan Djourou set to deputise for Laurent Koscielny for two games (the latter picking up a ban after reaching his tenth yellow of the campaign versus City), Arsene Wenger will no doubt be pleased to have his summer signing as a potential option having previously ruled him out for the season.
News of Mertesacker’s recovery is arguably an even bigger boost to Jogi Löw as the German national team coach prepares his squad for Euro 2012.
“So far everything is going according to plan, healing and prognosis is good,” Löw is quoted as saying.
An experienced member of the German national set-up, it looks as though the former Werder Bremen man will feature in Poland and Ukraine when the tournament kicks off in mid-June.
Tip of the cap to @simonafc for the heads up.
Reading the title I thought you meant to Germany. Got worried there. Love a bit of Mert.
Das ist gut.
Miss Per at games like QPR…
I’m not familiar with the German media, but how reliable is Bild?
Also, I thought the German national team coach is Joachim Low (with dots on the o)
his nickname is Jogi.
Blid were one of the first(?) with the Podolski deal, although we’re still to see if that one is true! I think someone on here equated them with The Sun in the UK.
Bild is the equivalent of The Sun
AH! a very reliable source for WAGs news
And like the sun, it tends to fill itself with pictures of women not overly related to any news item
I remember having said that, but I also added that when it comes to football news, they actually are pretty reliable 😉 (I once had a boss who bought it for the front page girls & crosswords, so I used to read the sports column for quite a while)
From the headline I thought ” .. to Bremen”.
Phew, great news then.
No truth in these rumours that hes leaving us then? To be replaced by Vert??
I heard that too, but I don’t really believe it at all
Bullshit pitch at Sunderland..poor Per..hopefully this is true and he can be back by the Big 1 against Chelsea.
Nice to have him back in the squad, but our best centre-back partnership in Kos and Vermaelen. I just hope that Wenger keeps them together.
Depends on game to game , Mertesacker would be a VERY good CB to start in Europe . If we play a team like Barcelona ,He’d come handy . What I like about him is he doesn’t even have to make a tackle ,he just puts his ass there
IDK I think Mertesacker could push Verma for his place; which is a good thing.
Bild are actually the closest to the truth in Germany. Regarding Podolski it’s basically, u don’t need a bloody press conference to prove that. It’s like Gervinho last, you knew it would happen. With per, I can’t see him playing before Stoke at the earliest because he needs to get some full training in & match fitness. Plus I doubt Wenger wants to ruin a winning formula in Kosc & TV5
Good, we lacked him in some games and we’ll have some competition for the starting cb’s.
A Bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush, especially if that bird is bigger than an ostrich. I don’t think people see it, but per is one of the main reasons we have a stable defence now. Whether vertonghen comes or not, i don’t want to see him leave.
What’s all this B.S I’m hearing about missing him ??? He was at fault for numerous goals n losses this season. He’s slow n terrible in the air for someone that is 6″7″ !!!! 4th choice CB in my opinion
Just as well it is only your opinion and not anyone that count then
well the Germans definitely miss him , they are working very hard to have in the Euros . I hear they are a good side
Well, not to dump on Per, but have we really missed him? Our recent marvelous run has been done with him on the DL.
when per was playing we didn’t have outside backs, which was when we lost games, when has a team besides us lost all of their outside backs, it’s like playing three center forwards in midfield because all of our midfieders were hurt, missing players makes everyone worse not just per
Numerous loses were solely his fault? I would love to see objective verifiable evidence that Mertesacker was directly at fault for mutliple loses, or, a single loss, for that matter.
Remember, this sport is played by a team, not by a single individual. The collective effort of the team is what concedes goals and loses games. To point at one player and blame him or her for a loss is school yard stuff.
Tiger,you are a fool.By your twisted logic or lack of sense,TV5 isn’t good enough either,his mistakes this year have cost us more than Per’s…who would you like as our centre backs,Squillaci & Djourou?
He’s hopeless just ask the fans at his old club. We need vertonghen and if this means selling this guy then its a no brainer. How can anyone rate this guy!!
Yeah, what does the German national team know about football anyway…?
Get real. Mert’s positional awareness is among the best in the Prem League, It is also among the best in the world, as 75 caps for Germany attests.
It’s a team game, but we vastly improved at the back from the day he joined. It is no criticism of our CBs to say that Per brings as much to our game.
We are really lucky to have the quality of CBs that we do.
Lads it is no coincidence that our best form this season has been without Mertesacker. Of course it was not just his fault but he contributed a hell of a lot with catastrophic deafening against Chelsea and other teams. If it was not for our attacking display against Chelsea in the 2nd half he would have got ridiculed!!!! N Germany have been trying to replace him for years now and with Hummels n Howelds I cant see him starting many more games for them. And for the record Vermaelan is 1 of my favourite players at the club and plays… Read more »
dude give a little support ! mertesacker is an arsenal player , and a fine one at that ! his ability to to be in the right place at the right time is second to none and he offers a different style of defender to the kos or TV5 . I cant wait to have him back in the mix adding competition and experience to our defence ! COYG
Actually it is a coincidence. Our best form has come due to the return of overlapping full backs.
Dear Sir or Tiger … I reject your views but as this blog is self moderating, I hope the few or the many tick you down if they so fit. Per is an excellent footballer, and will be class at Arsenal for years to come. I say this because I trust the input knowledge of Tony Adams who says Per will be a warrior for Arsenal. The perceived image of TV5 was established in his first season because he adapted very well ( another was Sagna) BUT almost everyone else takes a full season in the EPL to adapt. By… Read more »
“Germany have been trying to replace him for years”.
The key word Tadhg, is ‘trying’. There is simply noone better at what he does. Watch how often he clears the ball. And I would contend our worst period of the season was (easily) before he joined us.
His signing was masterful, and one of the reasons, along with Mikel (Get In!!!) we will finish in the top 3 this year despite our horror start..
This is personal, isn´t it?
You were saying that Per is responsible for many of our losses and your only ´proof´ is a game we actually have won?
What kind of nonsense is this?
Per is a great defender and once he’s played with a definite partner at CB for a long time he’ll prove his worth. He has gotten better at dealing with the pace of the English game. I think him being brought in the last day of the transfer window then having a makeshift CB pairing from the off wasn’t a recipe for an ideal showing. I’d love to have Vertonghen brought in to help out as a versatile CB/LB/DM. He can cover when we’re faced with injury or suspension and he can provide a danger to the others to work… Read more »
I don’t think he’d come to be a sub
Well if you don’t know the importance of Per to the Arsenal team, probably you’ve not been watching him play in the Arsenal team since his arrival at the Emirate. Per presence in the team will only make us rock solid at the back and he will get better and better when he can communicate properly in English. His return is a welcome development.
Great Defender? He’s average at best. I’ve seen players with a simple drop of the shoulder leave him for dead n create goal scoring chances time n time again this season. He’s got terrible pace for a Pro and that is something you really need at the top!!! He did improve as the season went on but the likes of Rooney, Hernandez, Aguero, Tevez n Suareez have and will again make a holy show off him
why is Per so underrated by some of our own fans ? and you call yourself Arsenal fans? Please. did you see Per in 2010 world cup? Germany were solid with him in defense and they ripped England to shreds
I think there is an element of fans nowadays who like to massage their own egos by pretending to see faults in certain players that us mere mortals can’t. They then kindly inform us that player X or Y are a much better option but we wouldnt know because we don’t have the indepth knowledge of the world game like they do.
Personally I think if you watch Pers development since he joined he’s made very good progress, too much is made of pace today, if you read the game well you can compensate for it.
Don’t call me a so called Arsenal fan I’m as much an Arsenal fan n follow them with great pride and passion!!!!! I’m sure lots of yous have slated Bentdner, Denilson, Squilacchi, Almunia n other Arsenal players in the past so all of yous can get off your high horses n look at this with sense
Throwing a player under the bus is not showing pride and passion for the club. Blaming loses on said player shows a complete lack of understanding of the game.
Instead of throwing out “passionate” and “prideful” negative assessments of a player who works hard and loves the club, you should hope he gets well and plays well while he is with us.
Per is what arsenal lacked for years, a great reader of the game, well experienced and do not always leave gap behind. This is the 1st season and getting used to England, Kos was a disaster lasy season, now the fan favourite. If Arsene had listened to many pple, he will be sold and we’ll be biting our fingers. I remember against Villa at Villa park, instead of fouling for the goal, he let go knowing 11-11 arsenal will win. Experience at its best. I’m 100% for Per, we need his experience and don’t forget, he’s just 26!
Against Milan when we lost 4-0, we would not have conceded so many goals if Per had played. Milan exposed Kos and VM’s weaknesses in that they both like to attack the ball in defence. Time and time again they were pulled out of position. Per sits back and holds his position and so the defensive line much better. I prefer him with either VM or Kos.
Still, all three fit is good news for Wenger.
2 things I don’t like about his playing ability: he doesn’t jump well and consequently loses far too many headers for his height; and he doesn’t chase back well enough. He does howerver have good confidence, positions himself well and has a cool head. He’s also the only one who’s not afraid to simply smack the ball out of play when there’s danger. Kos and TV are definitely our best CBs, but Mert is no.3. Poor old Djourou has all the ability to be a very solid CB, RB or midfielder actually, but doesn’t have the required aggressive nature, and… Read more »
He doesn’t leave his position because hes way too slow to get back and to ya man that compared him to Tony Adams is a lunatic. Adams was quicker than Per n twice as strong and twice as good in the air as Per!!!! No comparison should ever be made again and for all the lads giving the large one saying I don’t know much about the game iv played professional football at a decent level and understand the game a lot more than a lot of you guys
“iv played professional football at a decent level and understand the game a lot more than a lot of you guys” If I had a fiver for every time I heard that old load of bollocks I would be able to buy Rangers. As I said at the beginning its only your opinion which is the opposite to mine and since neither of them matter in footballing terms who gives a fuck. Mert has made some mistakes as has every other player. What he lacks in pace he more than makes up for in his reading of the game he… Read more »
Savage played pro at a higher level than you and his football knowledge as crap as you are.
I remember him saying after only 10 games that The Arsenal would be lucky to finish on the top 10 and forgot about the top 4!!!!!.
My advice to you, dont’ listen to talk shit and English media they are the reason that makes you think C Adams, K Davis, S Parker and A Carol world class if you have never seen them. Oh, has English media started we will win the Europe this year party?????
Jury’s out on Per for me. I like the look of him and know his strengths (positioning, experiance). But I also know his weaknes (slow, weak in the air). Still next season is when I’ll judge him. Get well soon Per
Tiger your less than a so called Arsenal fan.
The BFG is great and adds an extra dimension to our team when it comes to playing cunts like stoke.
Theres plenty of cunts out there like Nasri you can moan about instead of giving our own players shit.
Shut up ya clown!!!! Your the type of fool that says everybody is great when we r winning and was probably slagging off the whole team earlier on in the season. Per should be nothing more than back up for a club like Arsenal end of !!!!!
Troll alert!!
Well if anyone has any doubts they should ask messi if he would fancy playing against a cb partnership of kos and mert.
Every defender has his own strengths and weakness . positioning and tackling is his strong point and he was getting better in aerial duels until he got injured. And i was fancying mert in our squad the previous season and it came true this season.
Show me a another team which has cb’s choice of mert,kos,verminator(and possibly another good one joining in the summer)
In a team that has Djorou and Squillaci as back up center backs, sure you cant but be happy Per is on his way back because he is an upgrade on both and we should be happy to have him back. As much as I didnt like him before he came, too slow as most people will say, but he really has performed admirably. He has had a few slips here and there but so does the best defenders in Europe (Kos in CC final and Verm against QPR case in points). As a 3rd choice CB in this present… Read more »
Oh and you can fuck right off slating Djourou as well.
The likkle pussy is a spud clearly.
Per is quality ANYONE who thinks he is crap, or that we lost games because of his, is a twit.
The bloke had barely acclimatised to the kick and rush style of the PL before an intentionally fucked up pitch did him in.
Unlike the resident dunce, I go to away games and seen him up close. He is top notch.
End of.
Jog on
I sometimes wonder if some of the contributors on here ever go any game, or are they just recycling the shite they here on sky sports and talksport
I’ll take the BFG over Ledly King a million times over.
Talking of next year’s cbs, can anyone tell me how Bartley’s been doing as part of the mess that is Rangers? Does anyone reckon he’d come back next yr as 4th choice cb? And, off topic but following on about loan players, how’s Lansbury been doing at the Hammers?
Lansbury changed the whole momentum of the game against Burnley the other day, 4-0 he cam on as a sub, controlled midfield and sound performance
That’s my opinion and that’s my name!.
our BFG is top drawer. Out of all our rushed signings last summer, he was the one at the time I thought would make the biggest difference.
Who knows, maybe our defence has learned from him…
MERTESACKER EXTREME