Arsene Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Stoke, and it looks like an already tricky game could become even more of a challenge with a series of injuries and doubts over certain players.
Nacho Monreal is definitely out of the game while the manager says Laurent Koscielny’s ongoing Achilles problems needs to be assessed.
With the Spanish left-back out you’d hope for something more positive from the manager than, “Hopefully Kieran Gibbs will be available”, but that’s where we’re at. In fairness, the England man was on the bench on Wednesday so fingers crossed he makes it.
If he doesn’t, and Koscielny is considered too risky, then it leaves Arsenal high and dry defensively. Hector Bellerin could come in at right back, but quite who would slot in on the other side remains to be seen.
In addition to those issues there are problems with Tomas Rosicky (thigh) and Yaya Sanogo. However, Wojciech Szczesny returns to full training although Wenger isn’t yet sure if he’ll return to the team straight away.
Martinez first choice please
It would be very hard on him to be dropped after 3 clean sheets and no scary moments. He’s looked very composed and the defence seem very comfortable with him. He deserves the next 2 games at least.
and he looks so big in the net as well. Time to sell Ospina and give the kid the promotion?
I got a bad feeling that we’ll soon see injuries to our strikers as well. But come on, who didn’t see this coming. That’s why you rotate a player each week. But noo, finishing the game with an unused or a 90+’ sub is the name of the game at the Arsenal.
Who was he supposed to rotate Nacho with when Kos was injured? and Rosisky is injured yet he wasnt playing nor has Sanogo been playing much. How is this supposed to be Wengers fault except in the case of Koscielny?
When we were 3-0 up vs Anderlecht, that was the perfect time for Bellerin to come on for one of Nacho and Gibbs. In hindsight it was a clusterfuck but there were times when we could’ve rotated.
Yeah, Bellerin at CB or RB seems like a great idea…
Didn’t we draw that game 3-3 in the end, even with Monreal on the field. How would bringing on a less experienced defender have helped the situation. What a poor choice of game for your example….
Exactly! Who was he supposed to rotate Natxo with? Am I supposed to remind you of the gamble Wenger took when he refused to strengthen our defense? Whose fault is that? On another note, something needs to be done about Wenger’s training tactics. With so many injuries, something’s stinking there!
Don’t some fans complain that Wenger is stubborn and stuck in the 00’s and needs to change the way he does things. If he hasn’t but does need to change, wouldn’t this then show that his training methods are the same now as they were when he was winning trophies? Either Wenger has changed, players are more brittle or it’s something else and not actually down to the training methods.
Yes changing your defence, makeshift defence with another makeshift defender is the way to go. The problem is we don’t have enough fit defenders to rotate.
chelsea rarely rotate defenders
When was the last time that Chelsea had more than one defender injured ?
They must be made of teak as opposed to balsa wood .
Solid cuntwood.
chelsea rarely rotate it defenders
Is there an echo in here….
here.. here… here.
It’s true, Chelsea have been rotating players in and out of the team like nobody’s business and they’re top of the table, no wait, the other thing, they haven’t been doing it. So hard to tell those things apart.
Also worth mentioning that Arsene is hardly an outlier here, that miserable b*stard Mourinho hasn’t rotated at all – and has been spared any criticism. How is Wenger tactically inept and Maureen a tactical genius for taking the same approach? The difference is the Chavs have had the luck of the Irish with injuries – they’ve got no defensive back up to speak of at all but haven’t suffered so much as a broken fingernail.
Kos the boss will certainly have his tendons tested against them thugs
Three wins in a row…
In Arsene I trust!
Actually now lets go for No.4! COYG!
This I dislike.
Flamini at Lb, bellerin RB and ask Ramsey to do CDM role?
Kos needs more time to recover. Achilles injuries are difficult to overcome and although we need him its a long term risk to play him especially if both of his Achilles are causing him problems. I’d like to see Chambers back in central def.
I still do not understand why no one mentions Jenks!! surely we can recall him he’s a good right back.
Recalling the corporal is a no-brainer isn’t it?
We can’t recall him
We cannot recall Jenks as it is a season loan, and with 20/20 hindsight, it might be the one mistake we made in the summer in not keeping him. Then again to decide that would mean we would have to know about Koscielny’s injuries, and the fact that we’d lose our shiny new RB after 4 games. As it stood we loaned him out because we needed him to play, and considering he’s made the RB spot at the Spammers his own in 3 months, I’d guess that part of the plan is working at least, and he may well… Read more »
I really don’t think he’s better than Bellerin from what I’ve seen of the two, Wenger might have been more willing to play him which would have helped but sending him out on loan would imply he doesn’t particularly want to play him.
I’m sure I read sumwhere that Jenks can’t be recalled. Though its pretty standard to have a ‘recall in January clause’ inserted in the loan agreement, in case the player isn’t getting game time etc. we really could do with him back in the squad. Would allow Chambers to play CB.
It’s not a standard item if a team, like West Ham did, pay a fee to take him on loan.
With all the injury doubts we have, I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone like Maintland-Niles or Ajayi on the bench tomorrow.
This is all Arsene’s fault, he’s winged it one to many times, his luck was always going to run out… Arrogant old fool
Well, I genuinely think that the football we play invite a lot of injuries. Not only for ourselves but also for opponents. We play a lot of short pass stylish football. Our game plan invites physical gameplay in a way that most other clubs doesn’t.
Bollocks! While we are light at the back, we’d have needed 10 players in each position for cover given the rate at which they’re breaking down. Even then we’d probably just end up with 10 additional names on the injury list…
Four guys for three positions isn’t enough, I don’t agree that Wenger wings it too much but in this case, it’s undeniable.
Based on his injury record, I’d rather not risk Gibbs against the in-breds. That means Flamini at leftback with Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain in the ‘Viera-Petit’ positions, pivoting, please.
Also, Bellerin’s got the speed to run circles around them web-fingered, six-toed Orcs; allowing Chambers to give Koscielny a rest at centre-back.
Kos will play, Gibbs will play. Arsene loves to paint the worst case scenario with players.
What the actual fuck is wrong with our players. They can only last 1 game!
Monreal and Gibbs were already a doubt before Soton. It’s to his credit, and hopefully not physical detriment that Nacho toughed it out. Good man when we needed him.
Let’s just hope none of our players get’s shawcrossed.
last minute of the game, still 0-0. Ramsey whips a ball into the box, Shawcross tries to clear it but heads the ball into his own net. Orgasmic.
First minute of the game. Ramsey whips a ball into the box and Shawcross heads it spectacularly into his own net. On the ensuing kick-off, he scores an even more brilliant own goal. He is then sent off for trying to break both legs of the person nearest him, who turns out to be the referee. Even more orgasmic.
If there is no Gibbs then it’ll have to be Flamini at left back.
Lots of people suggesting Flamini at LB like in the 2006 season. He’s 30 years old and doesn’t have the legs to last in a CDM role without being abused by fans. What makes you think he will play at fullback? If things get awry, it will be Ramsey as auxiliary fullback, like he did vs Sunderland not too long ago.
Beating the manager with the Jenko stick is pretty daft and illogical. Bellerin has usurped him and that’s probably that.
Exactly my point, if you watched our games closely, you would spot flamini several times covering for gibbs and moneral at LB when we were caught in counter attack from opposing team, whit plenty of time to position himself good, and the opposing player past him like he is ghost and make a easy and dangerous cross. He is not the player he was in 2006 full of energy with good speed, he is past it and will be suicide to play him at LB.
Getting sick and tired of this ish.
When last have we had our FULL squad fit for at least 75 percent of our matches??
I can clearly remember back in the invincibles era henry always played more thane 32 league matches, same as viera, pires, etc…why is it different now??
Hopefully next season we’ll see the impact of Shad.
Sometimes I wonder if it had to do with teams knowing that if they kicked Thierry, they would answer to Vieira.
Most likely. Maybe that’s what this team is missing. I honestly thought flamini and bfg would have that sort of impact.
I do remember the battery Reyes received in that 50th game with MU though. Thugs are thugs, and teams like Stoke in particular simply know no other way to do football.
I’m sure gibbs will be alright to start the game, same as Kos, it’s a vital game and we need to continue our winning run especially tomorrow at the orcs we haven’t beat them in britannia 7 games, it’s a time for a big win tomorrow. After the stoke game, rest kos, gibbs, and alexis who is in the red zone for galtasaray game completely, left them home to rest. It’s no brainier to risk them when there is only 1% chance to win the group, as dortmund need to lose to anderlceht at home. We have plenty of attackers… Read more »
Monreal has torn ankle ligaments. Could be out for a while
Oh, fuck.
That’s bad news alright.