Arsene Wenger has confirmed in his pre-Emirates Cup press conference that club captain Thomas Vermaelen will definitely miss the start of the season after being ruled out for another six-weeks.
The 27-year-old had a chronic back injury diagnosed back in July but despite missing Arsenal’s tour of Asia in favour of intensive rehab at London Colney is still some way from recovering full fitness.
It leaves the Gunners seriously short of options in the centre of defence with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker the only tried and tested duo. Bacary Sagna has spent much of pre-season playing in the middle and youngster Ignasi Miquel represents a further alternative although it’s obvious that since the exit of Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci it’s an area that needs reinforcements.
In better news Nacho Monreal will return for training on Monday having picked up a problem on holiday following his exploits at the Confederations Cup.
The Spaniard won’t be around for this weekend’s Emirates Cup matches with Napoli and Galatasaray although the boss did confirm that both Santi Cazorla and Yaya Sanogo will get game time.
Cazorla.
We could really do with signing a decent-ish 4th choice CB, a bit like that Djourou fella… Oh.
I think Miquel should be given a chance now or shipped off for good, actually.
Sad to say I dont Think Miquel is, or ever will be, good enough. We desperately need reinforcements in all the areas of the team and we need experience and quality not more youth.
I actually feel bit sorry for Miquel, he is often played at LB and that is plain to see an awkward fit for a big CB, can u imagine Per at RB….no. I’m not saying Miquel is good enough, but I am saying that we haven’t seen him play a run of games at CB and until then I will withhold judgement. My want of a new CB is more for 2nd/3rd choice to replace TV5, I fear he is never gonna get back to quality CB whilst with us, people have to remember his goalscoring in first 18mths covered… Read more »
I agree with damien joyce. Unfortunately, Miquel seems to becoming our modern day Matthew Upson, CB playing at LB, and not quite developing in to a reliable CB.
Vermaelen seems to be getting worse as defender. I wish Wenger would do to him what he did with Emmanuel Petit, turn him in to a holding midfielder where he can tackle hard without the fear of bring down players as last man or be the last man letting anyone through on goal.
Adil Rami, 27 year old, French International, at Valencia, who are debt-ridden (as Malaga were) could be a bargain.
Someone tell Wenger right away. He’s probably never heard of him. Arsenal is trying to find a 4th CB. No 27 year old of quality will agree to come to Arsenal the year before the World Cup and be 4th CB. If everything turns out right, he will only play meaningless Cup games. The only type of players that will come knowing they are 4th choice are young guys looking to prove themselves at a big clubs and older players looking for a nice paycheck while resting on the bench. So, kind of like the two CB who just left… Read more »
Debt-ridden? Aren’t they now 30mil. Euros richer thanks to that lot down the road?
Just on a side note regarding his remarks about Suarez and Arsenal today, anyone else agree that Ian Wright should never be allowed to voice his opinion on anything regarding anything ever?
Yeah a strange one he’s why don’t we make a top quality signing and tells the top quality signing he should stay at Liverpool.
and then he also says that we need to sign a leftback and a rightback as well … how many fucking fullbacks are we meant to stockpile, wrighty?
we already have 2 players fighting it out for each of those, plus verm covering at leftback too.
ah you mean the mug who left us to go to benfica cause he couldnt stand eating brocolli ? The same one who has been pissing on arsenal at every opportunity he gets because we rejected his useless son? you still follow or listen to what that c*nt says ? ian can eff off
He never went to Benfica. He went to West Ham. But yeh.
He’s just an attention seeking whore
Ironically given the choice most of you would choose most strikers over Suarez.
And before the summer none of us would have even considered Suarez a worthy singing, but Ian says he should snub Arsenal and we are livid lol
We need to make up our minds
Funnily enough, Ian Wright was on Sky sports goals on sunday prog at the end of the season and was waxing lyrical about Suarez (the goal vs Newcastle being proof of his genius, apprantly), saying he was top top class and excatly the type of player ARSENAL should be looking to sign!
And now its Wrighty who has changed his tune, not Gooners! 🙂
He regularly writes for The Sun. So he is cunt. And of.
Shocking lack of respect for a club legend here. He is not on our payroll anymore.
respect have to go both way.he hasnt any respect for the club why shoud we.i love the player as much as anyone but since he turn to a cunt media whore i have no time for him.
He is wrong in what he said but it is not disrespectful.
I have got all the respect in the world for Wrighty the Arsenal football legend, but none for the ex-pro/pundit/media slag.
His views are often gibberish and he changes his tune all the time! Plus to the fact he said he supports EVERY London club, including the spuds and that tells you every thing!
He uses his past association with AFC to line his pockets too.
At times i wonder if Ian Wright was really ones an Rasenal player. Please people should stop calling him a Legend cos he aint behaving like one. Legends will always stand by their teams nor matter what. Why in d world will he advice Suarez not to sign for Arsenal. Dis guy really need his brain examine.
Jesus! He was 10 times more of an Arsenal player than your darling Fabregas who knows how to play the PR game.
Ian Wright was a legend playing for our club, but everything that comes of of his mouth is nothing short of cuntish and anything BUT pro-Arsenal. Fuck off back to TV presenting and keep your humble opinions to yourself – ‘Wrighty’
For all your head shaking needs
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/transfer-news-exarsenal-striker-ian-wright-says-luis-suarez-should-snub-his-former-club-and-stay-with-liverpool-8743333.html
I’m not bothered either way about Suarez. I’d rather we get an amazing centre back and midfielder and Wright is at least honest.
Honest but clueless. He was a great player once whom everyone respected.
Now whenever he yaps I feel embarrassed that he’s associated with the club.
Ian Wright and Gary Neville were at opposite ends of a spectrum while playing. Now it seems they’ve switched places ..
I’d like us to sign a 30+ decent centre back. That way we also don’t hamper the chances of Ignasi Miquel cause it’s about time he started getting more game time. Yeah I know, Squillaci was 30+ too but not everyone can be as bad, right?
I think we should build an old age hom while we’re at it. Our centre halves are not young so we need a young guy to cover and develop. If Miquel was good enough he’d be making more first team appearances anyway.
Squid?
We are short of players at so many places it’s frightening. Are worse is we seem to still think we have strong enough squad. Lord Bergkamp help us.
dunno about that.. we could use a another striker, possibly another CM with Diaby out. Obviously we are short at CB, and another GK is necessary. Thats 3-4 players(about the number we sign each year when we LOST great players), hardly what I would call ‘short of players in so many places its frightening’. We havent lost anyone worth a note, and we were the best team in the PL for the last 10-15 games. We DO have a strong enough squad, as proved by our form in the 2nd half of last season. What its strong enough for is… Read more »
How about Lord Bendtner?
I’m just praying that six weeks (TV’s injury) is not twice the length of that infamous “three weeks”.
do you know the exact injury to vermalen?
@ Sanyo Claws…
can we lump Mr Arsenal in that category too. Legendary player, but is full of shit these days.
The level of abuse aimed at Wenger these last few days has been a joke. Some people seem to think there was some golden age when Arsenal won or challenged for the title every year. For some a top four finish every year for the last eight years and a brand spanking new stadium represents total failure. What a pathetic sense of entitlement you must have. Wenger is not perfect and I too wish he’d get a move on and get some players in but the vitriol spewed out on these pages in recent days makes me sick. Oh and… Read more »
thank you. sadly, it appears that many of our Clubs ‘supporters’ dont know the first thing abut football….
Or real life for that matter.
Cheers DM, needed to be said.
I get your point but why did they get our hopes up by all this talk about war chests and that we’re ready to spend big. If they didn’t do that we would have our regular summer praying that we don’t sell anybody important.
There’s a lot of sense to be read in this. Wenger has raised our expectations a lot – we haven’t slipped to the level of Liverpool for example. I also think Terry Neill’s points were valid – that City can do their transfers early as they have nigh unlimited funds. We may have a big kitty but Arsenal still operate like a business. And business deals, particularly of this size, necessitate a lot more wrangling and negotiation. What may seem like penny pinching is still the same sort of thing as it was 5 years ago in my eyes. We… Read more »
BRAVO !
Herbert Chapman, George Allison.
Beat me to it. The real meaning of “history” for some people translates to “in their lifetime”.
Worrying news on TV5 seen as how Valencia are so skint wouldn’t mind a punt at Adel Rami. Don’t think we will get Williams from Swansea.
wenger ” buy or good bye”
that is so ignorant.. good grief.
2 weeks to go.
I’m sweating like Eric Pickles in a catsuit, on what might happen this season.
Omg I can literarly see panic buys coming. Wenger, once again you lived up to expectation. Wow… how do you do it?
that ian wright is full of holy american shit. he must deleted once and for all from the Arsenal legendary books,,he does not deserve to be amongst the likes of henry,denis berkamp,pires,kanu,edu,,,he belongs in the nasri,vanshit so called rvp,poor adebayorr,,he is lucky those bandits did not finish him off during that trip to angola for the nations cups,….we are trying to bring in kwality players but now he is trying to stop them to come to the slaughterhouse ,ian go to hell man, never talk about arsenal again who are? born idiot… le professor ,boss wenger,please increase that bid of… Read more »
Our transfer strategy has gone to utter shit these days.
While the trolls down the road are about to bank £105 MILLION from making the right signing, we sell a load of wasters for £1 each, and buy no one.
GAWD HELP US>
‘Gone to utter shit’ ?….. Cazorla Podolski Giroud Monreal …. These are our last few signings. You call these shit ?
You already said that biniyam it wasn’t funny the first time. I believe there may be taxi downstairs waiting to take you to another party.
Looking forward to seeing Say No Go play over the weekend. He’s got my body and he wants me soul apparently.
@dangermouse; Wenger is the greatest manager has ever had so far. But that fact alone can’t protect him from second guessing, because he (whom ever is protecting) dug himself a big freaking hole! By not catching up with the modern reality, at least realistically trying to improve upon recent success (8 plus years). He blindly relies on injury prone players, forces the issue converting players natural abilities to cover squad glaring needs, and fails often (Arshavin, denilson etc). He is experienced, stable and great teacher but arrogant or stupon. He is a successful French manager who manages in England with… Read more »
That is why he is getting the abuse!
Im sorry i didnt get that…so if wenger dont buy anyone he deserves abuse? who the fuck are you mate? what have you done for this club compared to him?
All you bastards thinking you can abuse or question THIS manager after all he has done for Arsenal better change the record and get lost. Fucking unappreciative tossers.
So what’s happened to Arseblogs infamous crack down on abuse?
Did anybody watch Italy at the Confederations Cup this summer? Italy played with a 3 men at the back + 2 defensive midfielders in front of them. They dominated against Spain in the semi-finals before losing in penatlties. Hope Wenger is thinking along the same lines: – Mertesacker/Sagna (converted from FB to CB due to his age and Jenkinson promotion) rotating at the LONE centerback position. – Koscielny moves into the two-man Defensive Midfield, joining Arteta or Ramsey. Koscielny’s passing and dribbling is amazing, and deep midfield is where he’d typically have plenty of space to move the ball fowards… Read more »
no
Seriously?
Lateral thinking mate … better than the one dimensional majority on here. Good for you.
TV another 6 weeks=December return 🙁
[…] 来源：[Arseblog News] […]
Wenger needs a shot of adrenaline to wake up…
Now bayer leverkusen has signed a holding midfielder Emre from Munich. Does that mean we will get Lars Bender from them?
hope so
@ Foolish Gunner.
I actually dont disagree with much of what you say. Fair enough points. My gripe is that Wenger is getting hammered ( sometimes in the most disgusting fashion) by keyboard warriors who all think they know more about football and team building than Wenger does. I may be in a minority but I think his recent signings have been good. I also have faith that he will spend the big wad of cash we have on good players when the time is right and the right player comes along.
Yes his recent signings have been good Mertz, Arteta,Poldi, Cazorla Giroud and Nach. He is finally learning that what worked in 2004 does not work now. Squilacci, Denilson, Santos, Arshavin, Park, Chamakh and Bendtner etc were the workings of a man who believed he was above everyone and had could do no wrong. He was out of control. To his credit he has reigned in this ego and is now adapting to changed circumstances. I would like him to keep buying Quality if not Stellar players like Mertz and Poldi etc. That’s why the Suarez 50 mill bid worries me.… Read more »
Like last summer we signed Giroud, Poldi and santi. Similarly this summer suarez, lars and Ashley.
Atleast these 3 please…
Another nudge from the board just to remind him of his comments?
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/boss-on-making-signings-before-deadline
there are still some players on the market…Luis Gustavo sounds cheaper than Fellaini and with the Basque player taking over he will want to leave and bayern are a reasonable we could get him for cheap. He is more like Gilberto Sivla. the silent enforcer but that would be bad news for Ramsey. Strikers? If we pay 55mill for Suarez i will be very pissed coz thats the money monaco used to buy falcao or something in that region. but of course this is all wild speculation on my part.
On the other hand,GOD says that eriksen should join us instead of liverpool…
@dangermouse. Well some people are just (Fools) so can’t take everything they write serious. Anybody who ever put on Arsenal Jersey should be afforded some respect, certainly Wenger deserves bundles a hall a famer in everybody book. He is just a complicated manager, and many (respected arsenal fans) want him to succeed. We all are desperate for silverware and joy of winning trophies. Again Arsene is the coach, manager, figure head, mouth piece, protector, economist of all maners Arsenal. At least the is the perception around grounds, and quite frankly trophies (the only missing ingredient ) of the coveted supremacy… Read more »
On wrighty watch his montages on YouTube and you will get misty eyed. My opinion he was brilliant for us and his goal scoring achievements outshone Henry because Henry played in a brilliant team at his peak and their peak (and he had pires as wing man), wrighty carried us post graham thru to wenger. Saying that his post playing punditry is up there with savage , Roberts, claridge for its utter pointlessness, self serving drivel. For some reason tv persists with footballers as experts….few are, their genius being in their feet. Adams is the same, arsenal legend, no idea… Read more »
Judging by a lot of these comments, I think people read the headlines more than the dialogue by Wright. Calm down, and focus. He was asked about what Gerrard said, who openly asked why Suarez would move sideways (as any team mate should do to stop the loss of a star player), and Wright agreed by saying what have we actually won and how much of a step it it really is. Now I don’t care for the racist that is Suarez, and would prefer he wasn’t at the club, but would woefully watch my team if by some bizarre… Read more »
Well said Harish:
I personally didn’t find what he said offensive or disrespectful either.
People say much worse on this blog to be honest!
In years to come, after its all said and done. Wenger will look like a footballing genius. He has taken us to the CL year in year out, with a net spend of £48m over a decade. To all the Wenger haters, fix up. He has Arsenal running through his blood. COYG.
Ian “Wrongy”