Arsene Wenger has said that both Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal should be fine to play Stoke City next weekend despite both being forced off with problems during Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Sunderland.
The Spaniard was removed at half-time forcing the Gunners to temporarily field Bacary Sagna at left-back before the Frenchman was pushed into a central berth when compatriot Koscielny also needed treatment.
With Carl Jenkinson on the right and Mathieu Flamini fielded as an auxiliary full-back the home side’s defence had a make-shift look about it, but Wenger insists it’s not a long-term problem.
“Koscielny has a back problem, Nacho has a foot problem because he was kicked on his foot. I think both should be available next week.”
Jack Wilshere is slightly more doubtful having pulled up in the closing stages seemingly holding his leg. Reporting back on the problem Wenger was more vague, albeit optimistic.
“He had a tight hamstring, I don’t know if it is bad or not. They tell me it is not too bad.”
Mesut Ozil was rested yesterday, Wenger claiming the German had a got a kick against Bayern but will be ready for the trip to Stoke next weekend, while Kieran Gibbs looks set for a few weeks sidelined with a hamstring problem of his own.
What was that goal celebration by Koscielny? Was he kissing an imaginary trophy?
If so I hope this is a premonition!
I read somewhere that it was his sister’s birthday and he was blowing out candles.
Yes, that’s what he said on Canal Plus after the game, the celebration was for her birthday, she lives in France. Wenger was interviewed as well, he said Giroud accepted his [AW] decision to drop him temporarily, but he believes Olivier will not let his problems affect his game.
I thought he was blowing steam off a cup of tea… symbolising that at 4-0, it was like having a cup of tea…
All I could picture was him holding a hot bowl of soup and he was blowing it to keep it cool.
French onion soup.
Same here
We should be ok with jenks playing the next few games, if sagna needs to play left back, but hope its not for too long as we get closer to DeathRun II
You know you’re important to the team when you get protected as swiftly koscielny did yesterday.
Arsene: gets out of chair, does a backflip. Get him off now!
Gibbs out again… We should pay Arsenal doctors more than what Rooney gets.
Ridiculous… http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
We’re always at the top of THAT table
Why is this? I’ve never really understood why Arsenal sustain so many injuries.
Me neither. Makes you wonder if there is something wrong with the training sessions or work load etc. But if there was suspicion of this, im sure it would have been corrected by now.
But being around the top of the injury list year after year suggests that something is wrong. Coincidence dont have consistency like that.
It’s not rocket science guys. We play a possession game and teams think the way to beat us is to be physically imposing or getting stuck in. So holding on to the ball when hard tackles are coming =injuries.
That and all of the running by a relatively light squad in three competitions.
I thought he was blowing on hot soup
Get em fit, get em going. I liked what I saw yesterday from the boys despite the lackadaisical performance from Sunderland, Ozil got a much needed rest, Olivier decided to get back in the groove, and Sagna showed all us Gooners again why we say give dude the farm. He’s worth every penny. 3 points, heads up, let’s keep it moving, and keep racking up 3s.
Great news about the defenders. For me, whether or not we win the League now depends on that block of four matches against Spurs, Chelsea, Man City and Everton. If we come out leading the table at the end of those games then we’ll take the title. The last five games (and the rearranged Swansea fixture) are all very winnable. The problem is that our form against the top sides is not very good, especially recently against City and Chelsea. We absolutely cannot afford to lose either of those two games. Sadly, I think we’ll just fall short. But what… Read more »
In my opinion it all hinges on how well we do in the return against Hollywood.
If we dispatch them and qualify, we’ll be un-containable.
you bright little ray of sunshine you.
little?
good to hear, the injuries kind of killed the nice vibe I got from the way we played yesterday.
OT: I went to man shittys website ONCE to check their upcoming schedule, and now I have to pay for it with google ads showing nauseating ads here on Arseblog with Samir The Cunt trying to plug their ugly kits. So yeah, you’ve all been warned. Use a third-party site for other teams fixtures!
Just use BBC Sport.
Just google the team name and they will show you the fixtures of the team. Although I think it is only work for Arsenal as I keep getting a false result for other teams like spuds, man $ity, chelski. Don’t know what’s wrong with my google
Just delete your cookies. Who would want Na$ri in an ad?
Bring back Sol Campbell till the summer.
Wen is Ramsey,Kim,Diaby comin back we ned them for the death run 11.
Diaby will be back in 2015.
Also Kallstrom will not get a game with Arsenal.
I reckon he’s kissing a big booby.
In memoriam of the west london tits who won’t be top of the league for much longer.
That would be an unusual technique for such an action.
Blog’s premonitions of impending doom about our lack of cover in defense coming uncomfortably close to fruition.
In other news, where’s Kim Källström? Wonder if the back fracture simply and excuse to work on his fitness à la Sanogo. Maybe he’ll come back as a different animal too. Källzillä, anyone?
(I left the buliding already. Coat left with me too.)
I think arsenal medical team are the problem of arsenal, the players keep having injuries upon injuries, others club don’t have like us, we have lose all our players to injuries this season.
It’s comments like these that remind you what a truly vacant, ignorant and medieval place the internet is. Sometimes we have it too good here on Arseblog…
I have a hard time thinking there could be something wrong with the medical team, because if there has been, arsene would have replaced them long ago, I amagine doctors would be queing up to join arsenal. Although, I agree with the basic point. Arsenal has and always has had since several years, quite an unusual amount oif injuries. So, there has to be a fault somewhere. It could be a problem with the training rtegime arsene prefers and is struggling to find a way around, or it could be something else. I am inclined to think that since after… Read more »
“Liberal” internet my arse,
Swedegunner
A huge relief to be honest, with Gibbs already out the loss of either of them could really have destabilized things.
Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but still doesn’t address The question of whether we should sack Wagnar or not.
Yeah! You find this Wagnar fellow, I’ll write the dismissal. No idea who he is but he must be horrible to be making you lose sleep at night while the team sits one point out of the lead.
this news is old bro, arsene gave this info in his after match interview 🙂
Ah. And I suppose your well-followed Arsenal blog has up to the minute breaking news?
Go write a strongly-worded letter.
okay I will….relaxxxxx its just a comment! 😀
Just happy that we are still in this position so far into the season. TROPHY TIME!!! Had I sell my Sunderland ticket due to work… DEVOOED!
*to
Fuck cfc & man shitty,they don’t wanna drop points,but i assure you GUNNERS they gonner drop some points soon# i love arsenal & ozil
I thought Kos’ celebration was a “dig” at Giroud, like someone above said, looked like he was kissing some giant boobies.
I thought I saw a pussie cat creeping up on me but it was only a damaged spud so we heaped on misery. Well done you tweetie bird canaries.
Delia Smiths recipe tonight? Mashed spuds. She will be forever welcome up the arse…
Where the journalist lauding Spurs as the next big thing?
I thought none of the Arsenal could get into their first 11? LOL.
SnodgrARSENAL
Gibbs injury issues are worrying. We have to make sure they do not become Diabyesque in proportion. Sagna, please give the man his contract extension. Neither the technically limited Jenkinson nor the raw Bellerin are ready and whilst we can find ample cover at RB in Seamus Coleman or Debucchy, neither will have the depth of experience, versatility or institutional experience as Sagna has with us. I said it before that much as I am a massive fan of Rosicky and he is having a great Indian summer with us, he is only going to get older and injury prone.… Read more »
During last week I was having one of those days at work. Not meeting my targets deals breaking through at the last minute. So I decided to smoke my first fag since giving up in the New Year. Outside as I was about to light up a guy from another office came out looking hundred times more stressed than me and asked me for a smoke. I only had the one cigarette as I had not bought any since giving up and had asked for it myself from a collegue. I thought fuck it and gave him the fag as… Read more »
Pete? That you?
I wish I had a million thumbs (internetarily of course, not literally). I’d swipe them all up for you.
No just another rambling fan who had too much waffle for breakfast
I’m not being funny, but for years there’s seemed to be something up with our injuries. Our club claims to be at the cutting-edge, even hosting conferences on the topic. But does non-contact training and wrapping up in cotton-wool stop players from toughening up? Unlucky? What for 10 years? I dunno?
This is not relating to anything on this page. But how god damn cool was Dennis Bergkamp?
Am proud of our boys and the manager we only need a bit of luck Mesut has been great too
honestly speaking, like a candle in the wind, i am not so comfortable with Monreal and Jenkinson playing. Nightmare! all i see is 6-2s and 5-1s…