Arsene Wenger has revealed his latest team news ahead of tomorrow night’s Champions League second-leg against Bayern Munich and confirmed that Kieran Gibbs has not travelled.
Speaking to assembled media at the Allianz Arena this evening, the Frenchman revealed:
“We lost Gibbs [with an ankle problem]. Koscielny is back in the squad. Gibbs has a chance for Sunday. Vermaelen at left-back [is possible].”
Nacho Monreal is also currently sidelined, hence the hint about the Belgian filling in.
Arsenal need to score at least twice inside 90 minutes to have any chance of edging out Pep Guardiola’s side and after the Everton match on Saturday, the boss was in bullish mood: “What I rate is that we have a huge desire to turn this result around.
“We have nothing to lose but let’s be inspired by the type of performance we have shown, show the same attitude and put them under pressure then I think we have a chance.”
Suggsesting anything is possible he happily recalled the ‘Invincibles’ trip to the San Siro in 2003: “The statistics are against us, but we have won 5-1 at Inter, we have won everywhere in Europe.”
Is the Szcznes suspended?
Yep. Remember he ‘took out’ Robben! Fab will do great.
I seem to remember it was Fab last year at Bayern and he had a great game… again please!
He is.
Yes. Out for this game. Time for Fabianski.
Its do able. But i’d rather we channel all our energy into d F.A Cup
Channel all our energy into 2(hopefully not 1) games? I think professional footballers have a bit more energy than that mate…
Is Monreal not ready then?
Worst injury we could have had. Bayern attack down that side. We might concede now, and scoring more than 2-3 won’t happen. Unless. Unless. We play so well that bayern don’t know whats hit them 🙂
It might actually be a blessing i disguise since playing Vermaelen on the left might help tight us down defensively. A goal in the 1st and last minute like last year with real solid defense in between and we’re right back in the tie at just in time for extra time and penalties
I’d rather see Sagna at left back and Jenkinson at right back than Vermaelen out on the left against Lahm, Robben, and whoever decides to hang around there. Vermaelen is a fine central defender, just not a fullback. He can’t motor up and down the field like a fullback in our system needs to.
Vermaelen over Monreal for me to be honest though. And I think the Verminator may surprise us, offensively even.
Plus, we’ve always got Flamini. Some signing he turned out to be. Never wanting in effort for 90 minutes. He’s immense!
On Saturday against Everton did you notice how Arteta was advancing forward on the right hand side? Haven’t seen him do that since before Alex Song left. Me thinks this could have been ‘practice’ for the Bayern game where Arteta will start off at RIGHTBACK. Sagna could start at leftback.
Later on after we’ve secured a 3-1 advantage and Ribery is all tired-out, Jenkinson could come on for Rosicky, and Arteta could slot back into his usual DM role.
To be fair, we were playing so well Bayern didn’t know what hit them in the first 15 minutes of our last meeting. The penalty miss then gave them the impetus to take it to us
and the ridiculous double punishment for their pk.
I think it could well be a blessing in disguise..TV5 will be using all of his CB skills to nullify the Bayern threat from that side..and he can contribute in the attack too!!
I’m sorry, no he can’t! Look I have a lot of respect for Tommy V too, but the fact is please remember all this previous games at left back…they were dreadful, you just have to go back to the 1st leg last year to remember how Bayern tore us apart down the left hand side with Tommy at left back. As a centre back he is grand, but a left back…he just ain’t! I would put Sagna at left back and Jenks on the right personally, at least that way we will keep some width going forward – as after… Read more »
Go for 5 goals. If we score 3, well, that’s life.
I wonder if he’ll move Flam to LB
But then who is going to play with Arteta at dm? Jacky is out, and I don’t think Kim is fully fit.
Chamberlain.
Pushing either Cazorla to the right with Podolski on the left, or keeping Cazorla left and unleashing Gnabry against his unsuspecting compatriots.
or..Rosicky on the right and santi on the left with arteta and alex as CMs
The other options would be to play Tomas or the Ox in midfield. It kind of reminds me of a certain AC Milan thrashing two seasons ago…
I still think Flam in the middle. He can keep an extra eye on the left.
lets focus on totshit game!
Ok. That should do it. Now where were we?
That’s a big blow, Gibbsy was fantastic at the weekend I thought.
It would be a huge blow to Monreal if Wenger dropped him for Vermaelen!
Monreal is also injured.
I believe, I have faith and I trust our boys…let’s do this COYG!
Where`s Monreal then??We must put players on their natural positions!
Seriously? Do people not read the article before commenting?
Did Jenks play in the away leg last year? If he want more width which we’ll need two proper full backs have to be deployed. I know we have to be wary if them coming forward but fuck it, no way we can go there thinking of defending
Some of you clearly didn’t read the article.
“Monreal is also currently sidelined”
Seems like they don’t watch matches either to know what’s going on with players.
No we haven’t won everywhere..We haven’t won at Tomso or Marshall..or whatsthatteamthatnooneknows..we haven’t won at any of the top top teams that play in Europa like those cocksonball down the lane..
COYFG!!!
Flamini at left back would be nice. He could kick a thousand shades of shite out of the bald cunty.
I would play vermalen at lb he will make our defence stronger, leaving flamini in the holding mid position is a solid base to the team ! letting our attacking players do the rest ! Com on the arsenal
That’s why we can’t play podolski on the left. With monreal at Left Back it would be a nightmare on the left flank. However Vermalen and podolski could combine but we have never seen them. I think Wenger will play the same midfield as the everton game and if we hang on till the 60th min then we can probably see Rosicky and Podolski coming on for Flamini and Ox.
Mass attack. Mass defence. Battle like a Roman platoon. That will do it.
Flamini LB please, Vermaelen at LB never ends well.
Sanga at lb, Jenks at rb? the Ox must start, his pace and energy is an absolute must.
And 3:1 to the Arsenal..!!! COYFG!! Onward, Forward and Upward!!!
@just a gentleman..
Flamini can play left back,
Vermaelen can play DM.
GOD DAMMIT!
Anyone know if Ribery is back for tomorrow?
He is….we are in for the biggest performance of the season
Must say I feel suprisingly relaxed about this match. Feels like there’s no pressure on us for this one seeing as how everybody have already written us off, and we come into the game with a great result against everton and a good draw for the semi in the fa cup. I firmly believe we can get a result at Bayern, even with the recent injuries to Jack and Gibbs. Maybe its because Arsene shuffeled the team around so much ahead of the last trip there, and we still performed so well. Wouldnt this be the perfect time for a… Read more »
Hope theres a Red card for Dirty Old Man Cunt…
Hopefully he ruptures both ACLs while diving
Why not play Sagna and Jenkinson as the FB’s? Sagna can play on the left, The Corporal on the right. Its easier than asking an unsharp and Nervous Vermaalan in an unnatural position. Look what hapened to Johan Djourou when he was asked to fill in at RB…
He is….we are in for the biggest performance of the season
Giroud
cazorla ozil the Ox
flamini Arteta
Sanga Kos Mert Jenks
Fabanski
I’d take a win from bayern but to knock them out will be a plus…. COYG
My Line-up
————————-
Bac——-Kol—-Per——–Ver
————Flam———–
——–Ox——Oz———
Serge———————-Santi
———––Giroud———
Final score 3-1 Gunners
Gibbs is left back wizard. Thing is we have a good agile sporty one like gibbs, baines etc then we have the neanderthal foot-stamping stoke type.
Need him Sunday!
Last year vermaelen played lb against bayern coz Gibbs was injured n monreal was cup tied in the first leg. All 3 if bayerns goals came from the left. It’s a big blow. How about playing jenks at rb n sanga at lb. Could work.
Agreed. Vermaelen has publicly stated he doesn’t like LB and was hardly a success last season in the position. Our formation / systems needs attacking FBs. Vermaelen won’t get forward enough and probably lacks the dribbling and crossing ability of Gibbs / Monreal. I think Wenger should have a left foot crossing comp between Jenks and Bac with the winner getting the job.
We are there to win, not shut up shop. Perhaps if it was first leg then a more defensive selection like TV5 would be warranted.
We need flamini in the middle. Got to be TV at LB.
I don’t think flam has a) the pace or b) the patience to deal with cheaty old man cunt over 90 mins anyway.
Blogs needs to get over Pep, he is nothing special tbh. Both teams he has succeded were already bossing way before he arrived. talk of rijkaards barca and jupps bayern. All he did was get in afew big money names and apply the little to none manegerial prowess he had. id like to see him build a dominant team like Arsene did through planet’s see it break it down only to assemble a new title challenging one like Arsene is again doing through slightly improved but financial constraints no less.
WENGER > 10PEP!!!!
All focus on robben, think we might be forgetting ribbery if he’s fit again?
Thumbing all you cunts down,
Has made me hungry…
Beep, beep, beep!!
Hello… puzza hut… it’s fatboy..
@ James, playing without a keeper is a bit risky init?
The whole Gibbs thing really annoys me. If he was fit, and playing regularly for us, I think he would be ahead of Baines as England’s first choice left back (cashley who?) There seems to be a pattern at the moment, he seems to come back, and then get injured almost immediately. I would much rather he sat out, we played Vermaelen for a while and came back injury free gain some form and play in our biggest games. The constant chopping and changing at left back cannot be easy for the rest of our defence.
Love it when folks say we should “concentrate” on the FA cup so we should play a weakened side tonight. As if winning tonight damages our chances for a games a month from now..
I haven’t really read anything about anyone wanting to focus on the FA cup instead of the game tonight. The FA cup semi is in the middle of April after all. If anyone is crying out for us to rest players, they must be thinking of Spurs this weekend, not the FA cup.
Nnoone in their right mind would care about resting players a whole month before the FA cup semi finals.
RELEASE THE JENKILLZ!