Friday, March 29, 2024

Wenger: Koscielny should be fit for Palace opener

Arsene Wenger says Laurent Koscielny should be fit to face Crystal Palace on Saturday despite sustaining a knock to his Achilles.

The French international went off at half-time of Sunday’s 3-0 Community Shield victory to be replaced by Nacho Monreal and it had been suggested the Spanish left-back could retain his central berth for the season opener.

“Koscielny had a knock on his Achilles but he should be available for Saturday,” Wenger told Arsenal Player on Thursday.

Given Per Mertesacker is unavailable having just returned from his post-World Cup holiday and Thomas Vermaelen is no longer on the books it’s just as well Kos is available, his experience marshalling things next to young Calum Chambers is much needed.

In other fitness news, the boss revealed that Abou Diaby is back in full training but that a few other names are still fighting their way back to fitness.

“Diaby’s back in full training – that’s good news. He needs to play a few games but this week he looked good in training. Ospina is two or three weeks away. He has a thigh strain from the Brazil vs Colombia game.

“Ryo is very close after injury and Theo is, as I always said, end of August or start of September. That is back into training of course.”

Serge Gnabry who has barely featured in pre-season appears to be a more long-term absentee with Wenger unable to put a date on his return.

“He is not ready as well. I am not sure about the timeframe at the moment,” he said of the young German.

It remains to be seen whether Gnabry’s injury scuppers a loan move before the close of the summer transfer window.

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cygan

#aha #phew #sigh @Diaby

UGooner

We love you, Diaby, we do…

This Diaby though… “He looked goood in raining.” Gets injured, but always comes back In Form. Take a bow, son.

UGooner

*training Heh.

George

While I’m glad Kos is fit I hope it doesn’t mean Wenger thinks everything’s rosy and doesn’t buy another centre half…

wengerthegoat

it doesn’t, he will

Unnecessarilystupid

Unlucky palace.

TommyGun

See you on Saturday Bosscielny!

He wants his own song, he wants his own soooooooooong!
Laurent Koscielny, he wants his own song!

Interesting to see Monreal get another run out at CB. I like the fact that we have that level of flexibility in the squad but hope we get another CB in. I am sure we will.

We are going to destroy the PL this year. Very exciting.

Arsepedant

He wants his own song, he wants his own soooooooooong!
Laurent Koscielny, he wants his own song!
And an accordion factoryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Mpls

Sung to a French Musette

Amusa

Praise the Lord!

N. Bendtner

Why? I didn’t so anything.

Bula Fiji

Why are we being linked to Cavani when we need to fill CB and DCM?

DR

Big name strikers draw the puinters in.

Argentinian goal-machine CF or solid, experienced CB, which would get the masses more excited?

Obviously, we’re above all that and know what we need, but if they had managed a link to Falcao…

Msian Gooner

Which Argentinian goal machine CF are we being linked to?

Merlin's Panini

Don’t you mean a Uruguayan goal-machine?
What would get me excited is having the type of players we NEED being brought in. If it were the case that we got in a CF I would think, “Ooh that’s nice, but it’s not what we really needed”.
It’s like a guy buying a 2 door convertible for a family of 5 instead of a four door hatchback.

Ergh, I just talked about cars. I think I’ll go and wash my mouth out now.

Exiledgooner

Because sports journalists are very, very lazy and need to sell papers/gain hits on their shitty websites.

Ryan

Time to put him back in my fantasy league team. Was afraid I’d miss out on defender’s bonus for a clean sheet! No such trifling worries now that Bart’s back.

Me So Hornsey

Because CaughtOffside is a complete click hungry cunt of website.

Dan Gunn

Dont feed it then!

the only sam is nelson

good good good now let’s just find another one for cover

does anybody else remember a couple of seasons back when there were people calling themselves Arsenal fans demanding that Wenger should buy Chris Samba from Blackburn? Bwahahahahahaha where are they now? Probably demanding that Wenger should fork out £20m for Davies or Smalling….

DR

I wanted it at the time, more as some kind of secret weapon to unveil if we’re getting kicked around and bullied by the usual suspects, you want to throw everything into the box and try and push us around? Unleash the Samba.

Think it would have improved us in the short-term as well but if he wanted the wages he ended up on when he went to Russia, probably best we didn’t pay them.

wengerthegoat

its as if, Arsene knows best 😉

Merlin's Panini

Bringing on Samba would be a bit like bringing on one of those end of level baddies in a computer game. Massive and intimidating but once you suss it out it’s really easy to beat. Get in behind and jump on his head… or something.

derby

I remember even the arguments put forward for it:

Koscielny is a good defender, but his flaw is that he is a good guy, and inherently good guys never make great defenders.

The favourite supportive argument for this was when he was patted in the back of the head after that mix-up with Sir Chesney that resulted in a goal in that final; it was said – hey, you see, he’s a good guy and did nothing in response. Samba would’ve snapped his hand in two, so get SAMBA NAAAHHH!!

The boss…Much meaner then the fragrance on Terrys cunt…what you ma call it Jose?

Man Manny

I am certain we will be 3 points better than last season by the begining of next week.

warm

what happened to gnabry…this feel like a rosicky-like injury. i mean, hes injured but arsenal doesnt seem to know what was the problem or how to heal it…hes been out for atleast 5 months already….and he cant even tell the time frame..i hope its not like that but this is worrying

CantWait

Sort of reminds me of when Sanogo was “hurt” for 6 months last year but was actually just back in France adding muscle bulk. Gnabry strikes me as already being fairly well built but sometimes I think Le Prof uses “injuries” as a smokescreen to be able to develop young players without people wondering why they aren’t selected for the first team. Could be 100% wrong though.

Don Cazorleone

Absolutely, I noticed a few years ago that an “injury” would tend to follow a drop in form. It gives a few weeks of head space and less pressure I suppose.

Obviously this isn’t to take away from the lads that really did sustain injuries and also this isn’t to say that Gnabry suffered a drop in form.

Frankie

Monreal at CB WTF!

Gooneron

Monreal at CB is not ideal but he sure held his ground when played there.

To Pooh is to Do

Monreal at LB FTW!!

Gooneron

Monreal at LB is not ideal but at times he sure held his ground when played there.

Mpls

Well played, Sir.

Springbank 1965

Have you just awoken from a deep and lengthy sleep?

Javis

Would be a big boost for the start of the season, Pulis is the kind of manager who would focus on exploiting a lack of Mertesacker and Koscienly. As composed as Chambers has looked he has a better chance of hitting the ground running with one of the experienced pair beside him.

Praise the Bergkamp only two days to go….YES!

Gooneron

It’s always good to have Kos.

Fatgooner

Great news about Kos. But we need to sign another centre-half, a quality defensive midfielder and another striker to have any chance of winning the title.

But Wenger won’t.

the only sam is nelson

City need Aguero and Toure to stay injury free to win the title Chelsea need Fabregas and Costa to stay injury free to win the title Neither of those things will happen, of course, so what has Pellegrini done about it? Mourhino? FG, what decides these matters is who is available and of the right quality, not your imagination which sees AW as some parsimonious and stubborn old goat who *could* go out and buy world class players to win the title, but steadfastly refuses to do so. Looking across our squad we have more key players – Santi, Ozil,… Read more »

TommyGun

Well said and good use of the word “parsimonious”. Arseblog is now that little bit more high brow as a result.

Its certainly up there with the Financial Times.

sanku

just now googled it.
“unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.”

Erwandy

How about buying a totally new first 11 while you are at it. Money no object now yes?

Dylan

My god Fat Gooner, you give me chest pains.

DR

Nah, we’re stocked up front and if Wenger has someone in mind to replace Arteta next Summer then I’m happy to have Chambers and Flamini cover when they’re paired with someone like Ramsey.

If we don’t get a CB we won’t win anything though, I’m pretty sure about that.

JAL1982

Despite the usual bashing FG does have valid points which in isolation I suspect every gooner agrees with. We DO need a top class DM we DO need another CB of TV5 quality and we DO need (albeit not as much) a ST who can directly challenge Giroud. All bar the ST should be available by the end if the month and that would surely end any further arguments/debates on our ambition.

I for one am hopeful we will get another 2 “top top quality” signings by September.

Springbank 1965

1. We will find another centre-half … one who won’t mind living in Kos and Per’s shadow. Though do remember Squillaci and Silvestre and Senderos and Cygan and … better get it right than get it done quickly. 2. We will sign a quality defensive midfielder … but only if one becomes available at a price we deem affordable (fees, wages – probably rules out Pogba and Khedira not that either is a true sit-back DM) … and only if whoever it is turns out is significantly better than a combination Arteta/Flamini/Chambers/Whilshere/etc we already have as assessed by Wenger and… Read more »

Rectum_Spectrum

we need a CB for sure and wenger will buy one. not sure we can say the same about DM – i think making arteta captain put that to bed for this year – and chambers performance over the year could put it to bed for many many years. we have snachez and giroud with sanogo as understudy. i think this is enough to NOT be the reason we don;t win the league. as always it will depend on careful management of our players conditions – as last years arsenal could have won the league if we had particularly theo… Read more »

Arsepedant

And the broken record spins on … when we go 38-0-0 with a +289 goal difference, win the quadruple, get knighthoods for everyone on the team, and see Wenger elected Pope, I’m sure Fatgooner will still be whining on.

Eric

Legend!

Injured Gooner South Africa

I wish sometimes I could see what FG has said that makes it seem so unpopular… Just to see.. oh well..

Arsh

I hope Chambers start over Monreal. I just don’t feel confortable with him in the center.

Dylan

I think its a matter of Monreal filling in if Koscielny isn’t available, with chambers starting alongside him

Springbank 1965

Since Mertesacker isn’t yet available though fitness, Chambers plays. Only if Koscielny is injured (while Mertesacker is sidelined) will Monreal play.

So we’ve already seen the ‘pecking order’.

And another CB is coming. We just don’t know when.

DR

I think Gnabry has shown enough to Prem managers to get a chance at a decent team, there’ll be a few teams looking desperately for talent as the window starts to creak shut, he’d improve most of the bottom half table teams and be a damn good option for most of the others.

Mpls

If he gets over his current mystery injury in time to go out. Otherwise he’ll be looking at a mid-season loan, or training out the year with the squad and some cup matches, probably.

goonerbynature

I hope he gets game time. Definitely think he’s got a very good shot at making it. As an 18 year old he scored in the PL and had a very good game (arguably MOTM) against a Spurs first XI in the cup. He’s only just turned 19 and it’d be great if he got a good loan at good, stable club. Southampton would be brilliant, they’re a likeable club with hard-working and grounded players and at this point could do with a slight injection of pace and creativity (Tadic notwithstanding). Martinez would have been a good bet, by giving… Read more »

Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding

This is the man who single handedly got us into the Champions League on the last day of the season (twice) and single handedly drew us level in the FA cup final. He will single handedly annihilate Crystal Palace and single handedly tear up Tony Pulis’ cap with his bare hands as part of his hat-trick celebration.

yes!

“tear up Tony Pulis’ cap with his bare hands ”
no not hands…just a hand..
see..single handedly…..

good one though 🙂

Even though Pulis won’t be there, Bosscielny will still find him after the match is over and rip his fucking cap apart. With one hand.

Lobsta

Shad u Beaut! You’ve hit the ground running

goonerbynature

Haha. While this is said in jest though, we should be a little wary of expecting miracles from Shad Forsthye straightaway. He’s not a witch-doctor who can magick away injuries (and heaven knows we’ve tried that, horse placenta and all), but someone who focuses on preventing injuries by reforming training practices and ensuring that recovery as a whole (and not just recovery after injuries) is finely-tuned. I doubt he’s the single cause of Koscielny’s dramatically more optimistic prognosis (at one point we were looking at a ruptured Achilles and a couple of weeks out). That said, if he is magical… Read more »

Thierry Bergkamp

Hopefully he’s not being rushed back. It’s best he misses a couple games instead of a couple months. If however he is 100% – happy days

Özil Gummidge

Dev suggestion for the app: Tickbox option to enable automatic thumb downs of Fatgooner’s comments.

Arsepedant

Or better yet, just automatic deletion of them.

Bouldy's Tupee

But the DM says were buying Cavani?! Hahaha

Stephen M’Bia is a free agent and Arsenal are interested according to the mirror. I think he would be a decent signing. He can play both DM and CB. Rated him when he was in France.
In Wenger I trust.

WengersNoseHair

I heard El Hadji Diouf is a free agent. SIGN HIM UP VENGA!!!

sanku

and so is TGSTEL :p

Goonerestgooner

Good news about Kos, let’s up he avoids the dreaded set-back monster that seems to lurk in our physio room.

Off topic, but on the main blog it says Damien Martinez now wants to be called Emiliano Martinez.
Am I the only one worried that Viviano enjoyed his gap year so much he’s had a Face/Off style operation done on him and Damien?

Mpls

Ha! My mind went the other way and was wondering if Martinez was looking to go on a gap year himself. In which case I am contemplating going by Emiliano in perpetuity.

Goonerestgooner

First line:
– up
+ hope

This Is My #aha Tell Me Yours

This is entirely off topic, but I hope one of these years we bring back that lovely, plain red-with-white-neck 1970 kit. Maybe as a slightly modernized homage. I have always loved that kit. It says “I’m the shit and I don’t need no bling to let you know”. How good would a revamp of that look on Ramsey, Kos et al? Although, anykind of modern sponsor would look out of place and a little vulgar, but oh well.

Arsene's Zip

I vote for the away kit to be yellow, blue shoulders, and sponsored by JVC.

I'm so ronery

Hunhhhh hunnnhhhh hunnnhhhh hurry upppppp. What did people do before football was invented?

AnonymousGun

Real life.

Eric

I would never know.

Policeman's bangers 'n' mash

Must be that German bloke.

Walcott's left footed curl

Good news. Speaking of Cavani, that’s obviously highly unlikely. PSG paid about €65 milllion for him last year and won’t be keen on letting him go, especially at a price that’s reasonble for us to pay. But, were something to happen on deadline day, I would applaud it. Giroud is a good striker, but not great. Getting a top, top signing in the striker department could win us the title, despite lack of dept in defensive midfield and at center back. Just look at what happend when United bought Cunty McCunterson a couple of years ago, despite the need for… Read more »

Gooner_mkyu

Our injury update is like iPhone rumor.

2014-2015 = the year we've been waiting for

According to the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/crystal-palace/11034484/Tony-Pulis-in-showdown-talks-with-Crystal-Palace-as-manager-unhappy-at-lack-of-transfer-funds.html

Palace are in disarray as the old orc Tony Pulis is unhappy with the fluffy blonde Crystal Palace owner over a lack of summer transfer funds… and could resign BEFORE Saturday’s opener.

and there he goes…

Arsepedant

“… fluffy blonde Crystal Palace owner …”

That might be one of the best dismissive snubs I’ve ever read. Brilliant.

Possession

Do you mean Cunty van McCunterson ?
I’ve never heard of the chap you are talking about otherwise.

I'm so ronery

Should be ready for tomorrow so guess we’ll see him in November

Nigerian Gunner

Happy times ahead

goonster

Fucking yes and phew!

Really hope Diaby does a Lazurus this season

Gonnersarus

Shad Forsythe working his magic I see.

i want to boff bendtner and I'm not even gay

As long as Ryo is fit I think everything will be alright

Injured Gooner South Africa

Would reeeeaaaaly love to see this kid play and actually perform well. Shad really has his work cut out for him.

realserious gooner

In NYC @ Blind Pig we have a song for the Kos. Someone needs to tell him.

Arsepedant

What is it?

Trez

We have to get a cb and a dm by the end of the transfer window. If we get someone who can play at both positions, fine with me. But knowing wenger, he’s trying to find a way to squeeze in wilshere into the starting 11. The ramsey-wilshere cm partnership simply doesn’t work…it was the mean reason why we lost against villa at the emirates. People getting soo excited keep forgetting like wenger said “other teams have improved as well”. Chelsea are most balanced, city are stronger, manure has a great manager. Its simple, if Wenger really wants to win… Read more »

This Is My #aha Tell Me Yours

People are not realizing that Sanchez is a striker. He played RW at Barca to accomodate Messi, and will play RW for us for the first few months. In the long term, he is a centre-forward. I’m surprised that a lot of folks are saying,’he can’t play there, he’s small’. Since when do we play that many high balls and crosses to the far post anyway? So, Sanchez, Giroud (22 goals is pretty good, apart from three or four chances he should have scored from against the big four last season, he was important to us), Sanogo will have some… Read more »

Injured Gooner South Africa

Coguelen has played there at CB for us a few years back, he’s also played at CM. Chambers is being looked at as a DM. Ox talking about Chambers bossing him means that the two of them could be our Arteta Flamini combo of the future. I think people are still stressed after having lost that opening-day loss against Villa. We still have to drop two players out of this current squad to make the 25 man limit. I personally do not see another player coming in. I really do believe that that’s it folks. What we should be enjoying… Read more »

Thanis Lim

My biggest worries are actually the referee. Last season’s opener – the referee messed things up for us. Let’s hope the team dig deep and beat palace even if it’s a possible 10 against 12 men.

Merlin's Panini

Seeing as no one has mentioned yet that John Terry is a cunt, I feel I must point this out, and also point out that he ruined Christmas for me as I can no longer see the Terry’s chocolate orange in my stocking and not think about how it was made by an utter utter cunt. It no longer tastes the same. Add to that the blue cardboard packaging which encases the foiled festive “treat”, that is not far removed from the blue of the kit of his putrid festering turd of an employer and the confused, probably completely accidental… Read more »

Merlin's Panini

If anyone bestows this gift upon you, do the only honorable thing; throw it at their stupid head like Abou Diaby’s boot.

the man who would be bling

That was funny but I really liked those things. You ruined them for me now. It’s like someone saying, ‘whatever you do, don’t think of the word car.’ And of course that appears in your head. I’ll have to draw on the T to make it spell Perry’s, but I don’t know if that will be enough. Christmas is cancelled, all thanks to John Terry.

Merlin's Panini

Heh, sorry.
Due to my guilt of having just ruined them for you I have just done a quick scout and found out there’s a company called Ferrara that also makes them. Dunno where you can get them though.

the man who would be bling

Thanks, mate, that’s good to know. Sounds a bit like Paulo Ferreira. but that’s just going too far… : )

Optimistic Gooner

I suspect Arsene would buy Mbia for free. That would cover for DM as well as CB. Of course, Arsenal needs to offload 4 players for that to happen (28 players in our books right now). I think Zalalem and Gnarby could go on loan whereas Ryo and the Coq would be sold. 1 yr contract extention to Arteta. Poldi might be sold next summer.
#COYG

All Singing All Dancing Crap of Arsenal

Does Flamini qualify has homegrown ?

cagooner

Tony Pullis leaves Crystal Palace by mutual consent.

the only sam is nelson

GOBLIN KING DEPARTS KINGDOM OF TROLLS

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28797071

That will do very nicely

For all his cuntishness, you have to say – Palace must be fucking mad

the man who would be bling

As much as I detest Pulis, he was doing a good job for Palace. But Orc cheiftans are like that; they have no sense of long term existence. They only think about here and now. He probably saw the opportunity to coach in Mordor.

the only sam is nelson

I was thinking that he might end up at dirty Leeds, as well – it would be a match made in heaven (where heaven is a cold wet night in the north featuring skillful, tricksy midfielders being kicked to death by neanderthal attack dogs, whilst Pulis looks on, cackling to himself)

cagooner

He’ll bide his time and take the first Premiership side that fires their manager this season. He’ll have a job before Christmas.

Much as despise him and his style of play, I agree that Palace are a lot worse off without him. Hopefully they’ll be in turmoil on Sat p.m.

griff

Manager merry go round starts again. pulis is a cnut but he did seriously well for palace last year. they will go down without him i reckon. i think we could run up a big score on sat.

Bouldy's Tupee

Stephanie Mbia… Wenger will sign him on a free. He played in last years Europa League winners team, Sevilla, played with Marseille, won Ligue 1 with them.
He can play DM and CB. Sign him up Wenger!!!

Man Manny

Pulis gone! Time to push the goals difference.

santori

We will need 4 Cbacks this season. Monreal should not be one of them. Chambers covers Koscielny with his speed. So we really need someone who can cover Metersecker with decent height and preferably 23-25 which is median between the emerging players in chambers, Miquel and Hayden and the stalwart pair of Koscielny and Per. Hummels is likely not available but what price Subotic? His contract is out this summer. 6’4 and 25yrs. Dm will wait till next summer. Arteta has been brilliant for us and no ‘physically imposing Dm will help anymore if we do not get the support… Read more »

santori

25 man squad –

CF – Giroud, Sanogo, Campbell

RW – Walcott, Alexis
LW – Ox, Podolski

AM – Ozil, Santi
CM – Jack, Ramsey, Diaby
DM – Arteta, Flamini

RB – Debuchy, Bellerin
LB – Gibbs, Monreal
CB – Per, Koscielny, Big fucking bloke, Chambers

GK – Szsc, Ospina, Martinez.

We don’t have to drop anyone. We need to sign the Cback.

goner_16

Rosicky?

Özil's Eyes on Arsene's Hot Thighs

“Big fucking bloke,…”…you lost me there.

Anonymous Physicist

Rosicky is missing, but Bellerin and Ox don’t need to be registered. So that puts as at 23 right now, and 24 with an extra defender.

Next summer we will have to get rid of someone though, as then Ox will have to be registered and Jenkinson will come back.

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