Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Laurent Koscielny could return to the Arsenal starting line-up for tomorrow’s game with West Ham.
The French international has been suffering from a calf problem since the win over Southampton on 3 December but could be paired with Per Mertesacker at Upton Park as the Gunners look to combat the physical and aerial presence of Sam Allardyce’s high-flying Hammers.
“[Laurent] Koscielny has a chance, he will have a test tomorrow,” Wenger told Arsenal.com. “He has a little chance.”
The boss also gave an update on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who missed yesterday’s game with a groin problem that obviously hampered him at Liverpool.
“[Alex] Chamberlain has an even smaller chance. [Theo Walcott] was in the squad on Friday but it was difficult to bring him on when it was tight and we had to defend. He’s not far away.”
Arsenal will be without Olivier Giroud for three games following the Frenchman’s red card against QPR, while the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Serge Gnabry also remain sidelined.
That’s a big COULD
Kos the boss back great news
Just the reason he needs to not sign any backup in january.. Remember the “If everyone is fit, I won’t sign anyone..”
How’s that going to make Jack ‘fit’ in time?
Am I the only one around here who thinks if it’s a 50/50 or even an 80/20 sort of situation it might be better to rest him a few more days? I know the wholempoint of having him is to play him, but I really fear a Walcott-esque situation brewing with him. Tendons, ligaments, muscles… it’s not like a single once off injury that heals and you move on.
Probably.
Play him. A half-fit Kos is better than the other available options especially against Westham. If he gets injured, then Wenger will have no choice than to get a CB this January.
You are suggesting risking a long term injury for the sake of one game because it would force us to buy a CB?
We will never know for sure when its okay to play him. If we rest him for tomorrows game, and play him in March, that game will still be a risk. I say we get on with the risk and see if he comes off unscathed. Either ways, we should be recruiting a new CB come Jan.
It’s not a video game. These guys are real human beings with careers. A new signing is not worth an injured player. Besideshaving Kos injured and buying a new CB gets us back to square one. No cover in defence
The next two fixture are probably most important games to our seasons, so i say played kos the boss for the two games vs westham and soton, then rest him for the FA cup game.
No no no! Zero chance he’s fully fit. Let him be 100% for a week at least before putting him in.
desperation of aw own making, if he plays him he’s clutching at straws and he will be out for even longer
What about listening to the medical staff and if they say he’s OK then play him.
Or do you really know better than them?
Is this the same medical staff who said it was okay to play kos last time? What happened then?
Get your head out the sand Andy. He’s not fit. Its a gamble not worth taking
Your medical knowledge with years of training as a physio or doctor, must give you a better guess than the existing medical staffs educated guess….
No sand involved, I just know that they’re in a better situation to know the best options. They still get it wrong but with you and me it’s just guessing whereas with them it’s calculated risk.
The medical staff has been changed throughout the years but similar problems have been around for ages. It is not an unqualified guess to say that arsene wenger got a part in this.
Sorry striker, what are you trying to say?
That the medical team do know or don’t know better than us?
or?
With…what is it?… the deepest list of injuries in the Premier League 10 out of the last 11 seasons, someone is arguing the medical staff (let alone Wenger and his influence regarding bringing an injured player back) knows best. I really wish I had such faith, but I don’t. I would choose to be careful with Kos and likely keep him on the bench. I don’t like the (growing) idea that one player makes the team whole. But for the truly exceptional (by which I mean a Messi like status) the concept of being without Sanchez for example (as much… Read more »
DFS, no one said they’re never wrong and clearly there are issues but they look after 50+ players (inc academy etc) and I’m pretty certain they’re right more often than any ‘non-professional’ would be. Simples. If they tell AW he’s not fit then I really can’t see him being played but if he is fit then he can play. They know much better than anyone on the outside, so the point isn’t ‘I say he plays’, it’s I don’t know because I don’t have enough factual info, but they do. They could get it wrong now or they could leave… Read more »
Andy Mack…you make a valid point.
I guess we’ll see in a few hours.
My larger point is we see teams such as Man City cope with Ageuro out and Chelsea cope with Costa grounded…I think the bigger issue is actually the mental strength and preparation of a squad, and I believe if we could sort that out the talent at Arsenal will shine.
Regardless, a win here would give real momentum towards the game at S’Hampton… and isn’t it about time the Hammers hit a truly bad patch?
COYG!
Regardless
Theo on the right and Santi on the left, Alexis running things in the hole alongside The Little Mozart and Danny upfront. Flamster at DM and a back 4 of Debunchy, Per, Kos and Gibbo. That’s quite a decent team to take on Westham, with a bench involving Chambers,Nacho and the Coq. COYG!
Like where you have gone with attack…it does sound lethal!!
You know what that means? Debuchy and Meresacker will get injured
and Monreal!
As ridiculous as it sounds, somehow I don’t mind Ox or Wilshere being injured.
Cuz Rosicky.
Not ridiculous at all. He’s better than both off them but somehow Wenger has decided that he’s not gonna play him.
Que Rosickys annual post Christmas boost into form to secure champions league football next season. Love watching that lad play.
Sanchez or Rosicky, who covers the most ground? Man, these guys love to hustle! Very fun to watch both.
¿que?
If its only an achilles inflammation then all Kos needs is a bit of rest. There is no point aggravating a fairly minor injury, especially now that Monreal is back and can actually do a decent job in CB
now it was his calf, that force him out in previous game which had double meaning with the calf healing he was also resting his tendinitis inflammation which wenger stated that on the one leg the tendinitis completely disappeared but on the other foot was still there, so i hope now with the 3 weeks he was out the inflammation for both leg disappeared and if his calf healed and he is fit, play him for the next two vital away games of our season.
The other reason we might as well not play Kos is because there’s very little chance of us winning the game anyway. We have an overused and overworked midfield and forward line. Incredibly, Fat Sam’s team had the luxury of resting certain players over this festive period. Wenger’s team, on the other hand, is being asked to play through the pain and in unfamiliar positions.
This is all very ridiculous.
Monreal does about as good as you can expect a LB to do filling in for Kos in general but what he doesn’t have is the aerial ability. With Carroll amazingly not injured at the moment this is one game where we’d really, really benefit from having a real CB who can head the ball. It’s a tough choice for Wenger on what to do.
I don’t know the main reason Rosickys parents lied to him abou his age. That guy can play footy for like 230 minutes like his 24yrs.
I agree with sentiments above. No point in risking Kos if he is unfit. Besides both Monreal and Debuchy are doing ok in his absence.
I think Ox can be rested as well. We can play 4231 with Flamini and Coquline in double pivot behind Cazrola, Sanchez and Pod/Walcott. No need to take further risks. It’s not that we have a title on line. We need to get our best players fit for the second half for a long unbeaten run to finish 3rd.
No point risking Kos vs West ham, but we might have to play against Southampton.
Mert needs a lil rest sooner or later before he breaks down too.
On a completely unrelated topic (may be not), can somebody tell me corporal jenkinson will not play please? Hope not. I know it depends on the close of the loan agreement. If there’s no such close inserted that will be a weird sight
It doesn’t depend on the loan agreement. PL rules (fa rules?) say he can’t play against the team that loaned him out. I guess it’s in case he scores an ‘own goal’.
Small chance this, smaller chance that, player x is close, player y is not far…. None of these guys are fit. Its a matter of if anyone else gets injured or run into the ground so much we have no choice….so they end up on the bench….like Walcott for the last few matches was and only now is he “close”. Blogs 100% correct on Monday, injuries (and the lack of the club and manager’s ability to diagnose the cause(s)) are the single biggest drag on this club now. Hope we can somehow find a way to grab the points tomorrow….and… Read more »
Hope KOS is fit. Then we would have a balanced defense. With either Monreal or Debuchy as CB, fat Sam will unleash Caroll and that thug Nolan. I feel it is going to be ugly tomorrow. Hope for a 1-0 or 2-1 score in our favour. COYG!
The cud chewing walrus , will be so tactically aware of what the Hammers need to do, while “entertaining the Gunners”
Kick them all over the park and play it high into Andy’s head.
Seriously intricate tactics!
And you all thought the Brittania was a nightmare…………..
i dont know why Arsenal have always a big number of injuries. i think there is a problems to Arsene or medical team. how possible every year the same players become injuries….. Diaby, Walcot, Chamberlain, Gibbs, Koncienly, Rosisky , Sanogo and now Debuichy is the next….later you will hear Wilbeck and Sanches.!! Arsenal should make sure that they end up injury crisis and if possible change the medical team and bring in the new one
If Fat Sam the Cud Chewing Walrus was the Manager of The Arsenal we’d get better results.
I have a bad feeling about today, results wise and health wise.
I hope I am wrong.
Up The Arsenal!
I’m going for 1-3 win tomorrow same as last year, it will be a tough game but in this kind of games we took our chances quite well, welbeck, cazorla and podoslki to score.
Thank goodness West Ham are missing Jenkinson tomorrow. He’s been a beast for them!
Agreed. Somehow we’ve always been helping other teams do well with our players over the past few seasons.
bellerin, debuchy at CB, per and gibbs. debuchy is very good in the air, and bellerin can hurt west ham with his pace. thats good enough. rest Kos – the target is to have him fully fit for champions league and the season run in.
My only worry about that lineup is that Mert is utterly shite in the LCB role. I am thoroughly convinced that is why he had such howlers those matches. He just doesn’t play on the left as well. Must be that ‘preferential vision’ Wenger is always on about.
I’d be happier with as they were If Kos is not fully fit. Plus it would really be better to have Deboo backing up Walcott defensively.
But that does make me wonder about someday with Theo and Hector scorching the right side!
Cback likely Per and Monreal Debuchy RB, Gibbs LB. So long as we do not do anything stupid (Red Cards), this line up is perfectly fine. Rosicky can continue in Ox absence in closer support to Flamini. Santi, Alexis, and either of Podolski or Walcott is good behind Welbeck who may flourish better given a central role. I suspect there is a possibility of Podolski and Walcott sharing either side of a half. Continued absence of Arteta is worrying. Unless he comes back soon, may have permutations for who we bring in in Jan to cover at Cback. May require… Read more »
What on earth is going on with the comments today?
Wishing injuries on people, wishing Fat Sam was our manager, Rosicky playing as a striker, and actual arguments over whether a medical team have more knowledge of a player than someone commenting on a forum.
Is everyone still drunk from Christmas or something?
Cheer up, it’s match day