Mathieu Debuchy fears he may have to go under the knife to rectify the ligament damage sustained against Manchester City.
Arsenal have yet to confirm how long the French international will be sidelined – reports had suggested anywhere between two to three months – but the players has revealed on Facebook that he’ll find out on Friday if he needs an operation.
“No fracture but one broken ligament … I have to wait until Friday in order to know if I must have surgery,” he wrote.
It remains to be seen whether an operation elongates his rehabilitation spell.
One player who stands to gain from Debuchy’s misfortune is Hector Bellerin. The young Spaniard may have endured a character-building evening as Arsenal were schooled by Borussia Dortmund, however, he’s still over the moon with his Champions League debut at the Bundesliga side’s famous Westfalenstadion.
Without the Debuchy, and with Calum Chambers struggling from tonsillitus, Bellerin’s late inclusion at right-back stole the pre-game headlines only to be quickly overshadowed by the nature of the 2-0 defeat.
Admitting it wasn’t the easiest environment in which to make a strong impression, the 19-year-old from Barcelona reflected that the occasion was still a dream come true.
“They came with so much tempo at the start with their quick players up front,” Bellerin told Arsenal Player.
“We tried to start the game with the same tempo as them but we couldn’t, and that’s something we need to work on for our next game.
“It was a dream come true for me tonight. It’s always your dream as a kid to make your debut in the Champions League. On the other hand, I’m gutted and we’ve just got to work harder in the next game.
“I knew there was a chance [of starting] during the week with the injury of Mathieu [Debuchy] and I found out at training before the game that Calum [Chambers] was feeling a bit ill, so I knew there was a chance.
“I never thought at that moment that I could make my debut here, but when they told me [on Tuesday] afternoon I was really happy. It is what you are waiting for since when you’re a kid and you’re just playing in the playground. I’m just really happy to get it out of the way, to make my debut on a night like this is good for me.
“[Playing first-team football] is what I want to be doing every weekend. It’s good to get minutes with the under-21s but what you’re here for is to play games with the first team. It was a really hard game but I’m glad I got to play here and hopefully there’s many more games to come.”
We have looked very shakey at the back this season… Injuries haven’t helped and we’re struggling with this new formation… Would gladly take a few boring 1-0s in the next few matches.
Villa away at the weekend has nil nil written all over it
I really can’t see us keeping a clean sheet. But hopefully we will have some composure and the real Arteta back!
To be honest, this is the real Arteta. Experienced, intelligent, quality hair, but physically not up to it anymore, especially not for 50 games per season.
While I no longer think he’s capable of playing week in week out, this is a game I WOULD start Arteta in. For games where we are likely to dominate possession fairly unopposed, he is fantastic to have recycling the ball in the middle
What’s concerning is that, Debuchy was the one who looked the least ‘shaky’ out of our back four.
Gibbs had a good night. Perfect? Nobody was. But he did not play poorly. Agreed though that Debuchy was one of the more Up for the match.
Meaning Debuchy more up for the matches on a regular basis, of course.
Dont want anything short of a cracking arsenal win at villa park + i am going to be at the stadium to watch it.
The next 35 games of boring 1-0 wins will do for me
Happy for Bellerin. I hope he grabs his chances and maybe it’s gonna be his time to shine (until Debuchy recovers).
Bellerin will have learned a lot from that game. I love him and think he’ll a make a great player one day.
On Debuchy, didn’t Wenger say before Tuesday’s game that the scan news was better than expected? If a torn ligament possibly needing surgery isn’t so bad, I hate to think what he must have been expecting.
Thought the lad did well tbh
Had Özil played like him he would have been slaughtered (though he has been anyways). He is a young defender making his debut in one of the most difficult games and times possible, he cannot be faulted for his performance, and the biggest issue in the game was the midfield, but it was honestly terrible.
Perhaps its time we should really consider appeasing whichever god wenger offended. at this injury rate all d U21s are gonna make their senior debut before JANUARY!!!!!!!
Whatever ritual is chosen to appease this god, it should include Eboue dressed as a tiger.
Anyone not pleased by that is not a god!
Get behind me, Satan!
*Stan
Wenger’s transfer policy will be his downfall
All the best to Debuchy. The defensive options are glaringly limited so, at the very least, I hope Wenger will adjust his tactics. For one, if we’re winning, try to see out the game. If not by (actual) defending, then be ruthless. Two goal buffers or clean sheets. Pretty please, with sugar on top. Keep the fucking ball and while you’re at it the momentum.
I think we should be looking to pull jenksons loan and send hector in his place. Not that hector did anything wrong at all. But jenks is ahead of him and did a great job covering for sagna.
I was thinking the same thing only pull Jenko back and keep Bellerin. Add bonus – annoy the Walrus!
Can we recall him?
Problem is, that Jenko is injured..
He looked pretty fit coming of the bench for them on Monday…
No, I read somewhere that we can’t recall him, and even if we could he wouldn’t be eligible for the CL because our squad is now fixed until Jan. If we were recalling anyone from West Ham, my choice would be Song. Always liked him, but even those who didn’t presumably acknowledge that, given our failure to buy Cavalho, plus the increasing inability of Arteta and Flam to provide what is needed, Song wouldn’t have been the worst of our options. Home-grown, strong as an ox and never gets injured, top number of assists for Van Persie, provides cover at… Read more »
Why are we worried about Bellerin ?????? The guy will be just fine. I seem to remember everyone stressing years ago when we played Man Utd at home and started Flam and Fabregas as ‘raw untested talent’. They turned out just fine. The middle of the park we wanna be worried about. Chambers and Flam or Arteta and Flam need to start and sit infront of the back 4. It’s pretty simple stuff. Every successful team right now if playing with 2 midfielders sat infront of the back 4. But what we are doing is allowing all our players to… Read more »
I got thumbed down a while back when I tipped Bellerin for 1st team football…Glad for him now let’s go to villa park and do justice…
now what next???
Give me next weeks lotto numbas. plz
No idea why you are getting so many thumbs down. I agree with you on Bellerin. Can anyone who thumbed down ‘Gooner from Pretoria’ explain their negative thoughts on this.
cos everyone hates a show-off….you don’t have to claim credit for anything that goes right
People hate an ‘I told you so’.
Great to see bellerin get a start, although the team performance was dire to say the least. I really feel he has a big future ahead of him. Still a bit raw but can only improve. Time for the more senior players to switch on and start performing, and earning their colossal wages.
I agree. We should be able to slot one new, developmental right back into our formation. All the other superstars and WC winners can mentor him through that. Give Hector a run in the side.
A run of games can only do good for his game.
May arse continue to thrive, prosper; an ever present beacon of hope and joy within an increasingly unjust and perilous society. My sun, stars, muse, flame. Glory be to arse.
As somebody said before and Blogs referenced in the Arsecast a comment from here, I think Milner’s attention probably didn’t help Debuchy. If Clattenberg had shown Milner an early yellow after maybe the second hefty challenge on Debuchy, if not the first, then perhaps the ankle migh not have been so softened up for the injury to come, maybe the injury would have happened anyway because the actual cause was just one of those things, but it may not have been so bad. Of course it doesn’t work like that, if Milner had been booked early on, by the very… Read more »
Anyone else think, considering we have debuchy (when fit) and bellerin, and given his height and frame, Jenkinson could be turned into a pretty decent centre back???
Nah. His best quality is pace, his weakest is positional awareness, which typically does not a good centre back make.
Duno, remember reading somewhere that Jenkinson was fairly comfortable as CB (I think)
Besides positional awareness can be learnt, pace can’t, which hes already got.
Jenko has gotta be gutted really, hasn’t he.
I have no idea why gooner from pretoria got so many thumbs down, I also believe that Bellerin is going to become a great player for Arsenal. I am looking forward to seeing him play for The Gunners over the next couple of months.
I am not entirely comfortable with Bellerin being our back-up RB. He did nothing wrong on Tuesday but I think he was also not very commanding (that will come with time). I cringe everytime I imagine him having to contend with Hazard or Di-Maria My opinion is to get Calum there till Debuchy is back, sign an available CB (Hearing of Yobo and one other lad who used to play for W. Brom) on a few months deal if possible – the best that can done considering the situation Arsene has needlessly created for the team. Lassana Diara is also… Read more »
I’d put Chambers in defensive midfield – at least until we have another defender injured. That’s where we need beefing up, not just so as to give the defence some protection but also to allow the creative players more time and space to create. It wouldn’t matter so much that we’re defensively vulnerable – which with Merte’s lack of pace and Bellerin’s inexperience we’re bound to be against quick quality strikers – if we weren’t so weirdly toothless in attack. We had only three shots on goal against BVB, same as against a poor Napoli in the second CL tie… Read more »
I’ve been analyzing the game idk if I was the k not one who saw this but on Tuesday alot of the senior guys looked like they lacked trust in young Hector I mean there were times he made some great runs forward and they would ignore is overlapping runs and force the ball through the middle… I mean maybe i’m over analyzing but thats what I saw for me he played well it was unfair he was thrown with no cover on that right hand side but he can hold his head high after this… Bright future!
He showed real promise, like a young Jordi Alba. Some of his passes/vision was extremely impressive, all things considered. Wish him all the best for the future.
We are one or two injuries away from playing Diaby and gunnersaurus in defence.
Give Diaby a go in front of Arteta (Dreams back to Anfield August 2012)
Back to basics time me thinks.
Wenger has been focusing on building the cohesion and fluidity of our game in this tweaked system by persisting with his first 11. We lost the Dortmund game because the players were not ready to play at that pace so soon after the mental tempo we played at for 90mins against Citeh.
The 4141 may turn out to be a better set up for us in time. Right now though it is quite clearly exploiting our weaknesses. Playing anybody who isn’t 100% ready doesn’t really help.
He needs to trust his squad more.
If an Arsenal player “might need” a surgery, then that basically means he needs surgery. When was the last time we had an injury that was shorter than estimated? It’s pretty much always worst case scenario.
Has anyone seen Lauren recently? I think he’s resigned, which means he’s not on a contract..
Can Jenkinson be recalled from his loan?
Can we make a sacrifice to appease the injury gods? I vote for Diaby Haha
Jerks played the last few minutes in his game this weekend so he’s fit. No idea if we could call him back or not.
The ‘r’ and the ‘n’ are nowhere near each other on the keyboard, mate.
I’m betting autocorrect, but I can’t fathom why a gooner’s phone wouldn’t know “jenks”
Jenks @ CB? Your all turning into wenger. PLAY PLAYERS IN THEIR BEST POSITION AND GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM!!!!!
Jenkinson is one dimensional and over-rated. he lacks technical ability and whips his crosses in blind. I don’t think he has the composure for Cback either.
Bellerin is an exciting player. Unfazed would be the ord I would use to describe his rather trying debut. Naturally still has a bit of naivity around the edges but he looks like a fast learner and is mature enough to understand not to over commit (going up which is his strength)particularly with the team playing awful. @19, he is around the age Gibbs started for us. Shame to see Debuchy out. Hopefully it isn’t as serious and he can hop back in in two months time. Meanwhile, I’d expect Bellerin to grab the chance and push on. but I… Read more »
My question would have been- is it true you still have that compromising photo of Mrs mourinho that gets jose all irked up?? On a more serious note- why the fuck is Ozil playing on the left and why can’t we try something different for the big games? Maybe a 4-1-3-2 with diaby or chambers offering protection to the back 4 and wilshere and Ramsey and Ozil forming the middle 3 and canola supporting alexis up front
Chambers to play at RB with Bellerin deputizing. I back them to do well. If one of them gets injured though, things will reach the breaking point at the back. Its really strange that we are so close to such a compromising position. I can see some sense to what Arsene was trying to do, Debuchy for Sagna, Bellerin for Jenkinson, Chambers for Vermaelen seems well and good, but we have needed one more player in defense since last season and I think Wenger sees Isaac Hayden as the man for the job. Let’s see how it pans out. Hopefully… Read more »