Arsene Wenger has spoken to the press ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash with Liverpool and given an update on the fitness of his squad.
It’s a mixed bag to be honest.
While Mikel Arteta returns to the starting line-up following his red card at Crystal Palace, Serge Gnabry remains out with an ankle problem while Mathieu Flamini, as expected, is sidelined by the groin problem which forced him off after seven minutes at Selhurst Park.
On the plus side, the boss thinks the Frenchman has a chance of being back for the Manchester United game next weekend, although we’ll have to do without his own brand of mental midfield harrying for a second time against Dortmund.
“Basically we have just Arteta back,” said the boss. “Gnabry will not be available. Flamini is a short term injury. Maybe he will be back for the Manchester United game.”
Despite defeat on Tuesday night to Chelsea in the Capital One Cup, the boss underlined that he and his squad are still upbeat about the season ahead: “The mood is very positive at the moment, our priorities are the league and the Champions League.”
Update
Apparently the boss has also said that Theo Walcott could be back for the United clash as well. Presumably after a good six weeks out we’re talking about him being an option from the bench, but good to have him back in contention all the same.
Great priorities.
Bendtner’s up for sale on Gumtree for tree-fiddy. Come clean Blogs…
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/nicklas-bendtner/1037139868
what about wallcot?
What the hell is wrong with our wingers?
Witchery of the Wingmen
They’re giving the pitch a wide berth…..
Why didn’t he mention about Walcott and Podolski? How long will they be out?
Walcott maybe by back by the time we play Manure it says, (two weeks) Poldi completley buggered his hamstring as it turns out but i think he’s coming back into training?
hammies are very tough to recover from. I busted mine playing beach volleyball at a friend’s wedding 5 months ago, and I’m still not at 100%. admittedly I don’t have the arsenal medical staff monitoring my recovery and planning my rehab, but even still there’s not a whole lot to do about a hamstring injury other than not use it. poldi will have to be slowly integrated back into the team so as not to aggravate his hamstring any further.
Playing beach volleyball? Intense.
Holy shit! Beach volleyball at a wedding? THAT sounds like a proper bloody party to me, mate!
Beach Volleyball at wedding you said?
Ye that’s probably why you’re back already and they’re not 😉
The lack of Width was really telling on Tuesday. This would have been your chance Gerv.
Good to have Theo back, natural winger. Hope we have Lethal Poldi soon
and our 12th man as well hopefully
I kind of wish we were playing away. The emirates crowd (for the most part) is a whiney sea of negativity.
Read what is the well before comment. he said Flamini is a short term injury. Maybe he will be back for the Manchester United game. that is not for sure but also said. Apparently the boss has also said that Theo Walcott could be back for the United clash as well we already have lukas podorski
we do not have podolski back, he’s back running again but has not trained with the 1st team (my understanding at least)
Huge 3 games coming up, hopefully everyone will get behind the team tomorrow and the players will feed off the atmosphere! Slightly off topic, but this would never fit into a tweet. But I went to the Capital One Cup game Tuesday and had to listen to some prick complain for 90 minutes about Jenkinson being a “Fucking cunt and why are we wasting 35k a week on him when we iare being tight and not paying Mata’s wages!” Honest to god, my dad had to stop me from pulling him up for being such a toss bag! Anyway, I… Read more »
Is poldi back?
Samll moan spoiler alert:
Why is it everyone calls into question the quality of the opposition we have been beating??
Has anyone taken a look at Liverpool’s fixtures recently?
God i am so up for this game tomorrow. Some mugs are gonna get seriously smashed!
Suarez needs to know where his bread should have been buttered!
When Walcott comes back we will truly see the best of Ozil.
And when we get a quicker central striker. Giroud is adequate, but he is a bit lumbering. Side needs a top quality CF and DM to be legitimate contender in England and Europe. Unlikely, however, as Wenger remains more Sanogo than Ozil, I think. We will see.
Nice copy and paste job there. Got scared by original thoughts last night?
“Giroud is adequate, but he is a bit lumbering” the most stupid thing I have read on here for a while and this is a blog that houses Fatgooner. All of our good goals and good play have come through Giroud as a pivot to the midfield. They all use him to bounce off and so this doesn’t require masses of speed but does require a shitload of technique and skill. Grant Holt is a lumbering striker (sorry sam), while Giroud is a skillful battering ram. While we hate him, a good comparison would be with Drogba who also wasn’t… Read more »
Jeez, if Giroud is a ‘bit lumbering’, that would make Bendtner a Tree Ent.
“A Tree Ent”, pure tautology. Just like saying, “An Animal Squirrel” or a “Cuntish Pulis”
Walcott anithing but naturall winger
There’s literally no other position on the pitch that suits him better than winger.
Just imagine when Theo, Ox, and Poldi is fit again! Think of the competition for those spots!
I miss Flamini.
I never thought I’d say that after he left.
Have a personal hatred for manure united, just hope we have a formidable squad before we face those cheats at oldshitford. Would absolutely love a battering, an 8-2? Would give anything to have that scoreline in our favour
And when i say a formidable squad i mean this..
…………………….sczsney…………………………..
…………..kos……………………..mat……………..
Sag………………………………………………..gibo
……………..rambo……flamestar…………….
TheoW……………Ozil………………..Cazorla
……………………….Giroud………………………….
Subs:fabianski,vermaelen,jenkinson,arteta,rosicky,monreal,podolski,jack, 7sub yea but i got 8 here so you do the sub, who sits out?
Jenkinson.
Podi must be close to a come back as well ? Is daiby fit for liverpool? I jest I jest relax
So by “mixed bag”, you meant a bag containing a mixture of different pieces of bad news?
More going on behind the scenes regarding Poldi me thinks. How many full matches did he complete last season? He’s a proven world class striker so why the lack of game time ( I know he’s currently injured) and why the constant transfer rumours.
What do you mean by constant transfer rumors? There was that silly request by a german team to have him, which obviously get a no go from Wenger, end of. I just don’t see that happening even if we spend all the money left on a left winger.
Batter united at oldshitford then you leave me the happiest human on planet earth
OMG we’re going to have wingers soon!
New song idea:
(Traditional limerick tune/melody.)
Luis, it coulda been you.
Luis, it coulda been yooooooou.
But Brenda wouldn’t sell,
So we went and bought Ozil.
Luis, it coulda been you!
Similarly:
Robin, it coulda been you.
Robin, it coulda been yoooooou.
But you listened to your “boy,”
Now you play for David Moyes.
Robin, it coulda been you!
Thoughts? Others — Samir, it coulda been you?
Can’t wait to see all of them injured players healed, running and super fit again to smash any opponent,
COYG!!!
If Giroud can improve on his finishing, then he’d be the perfect striker.
We miss a bit of speed on the flanks. If Gnabry and Walcott can get back in soon, will be a big plus for November – Cardiff, Southampton, Napoli.
Flamini back for United will be massive.
Theo? A naturally winger? I still say he’s a striker… Who is more affective on the wing due to his pace. Either way ,hopefully he’ll be back during this run of tough fixtures.
Its gd to see the gunners top also this month is a big schedule for the team, coyg
When flamini left eons ago I was rather upset as he was one of the lynchpins to our run to Paris. His goal against Newcastle was as fine as Pats. I love me a good niggly so and so.
Please!! Flamini must play against man utd. I don’t want man utd to be so lucky!!