Arsene Wenger is hoping to have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla back in full training next week as the midfield duo edge ever closer to first team action.
Chamberlain hasn’t featured since injuring knee ligaments in a collision with Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano back in February, while Cazorla’s own knee problem has kept him sidelined since the 1-1 draw at Norwich in November.
“Next week they will be back maybe, they are not back in full training yet,” Wenger told Arsenal.com ahead of the Gunners clash with Crystal Palace. “They are still on fitness work.”
As reported yesterday, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere will step up their own comebacks with another game for the under-21s today. The duo travel to Swansea’s Liberty Stadium knowing a win will secure promotion for Steve Gatting’s side.
“Jack and Tomas are playing today for the under-21s,” added Wenger. “They have had no reaction from last Friday’s game and they look alright.
“From last Saturday’s game against West Ham, we should have everyone available who was in the squad.”
fully fit squad, too little too late im afraid 🙁
I’m sick and tired of the pessimism. We still got a chance to lift a 4th place intangible trophy.
FOREVER COYG!!!
^Tried to be funny. Failed
Failed miserably to.
*too
What are the win stats with / without Cazorla? Feels like our season changed when he was gone.
not just feels like it, it actually did. we literally went from a perfectly functioning midfield to complete shambles. he was the little engine behind the attack that made things so cohesive.
This is exactly what happened, only up until recently when we’ve deployed a ball playing midfielder with a more defensive mindset (Elneny) have we started looking anything like we did before Cazorla got injured! Who would have thought a year ago that we would miss little Santi playing in a deep lying midfield position
In terms of results it didn’t make too much difference being without Santi, until Coquelin came back. In the League at the end of the Norwich game we had 27 points from 14 games. We had also lost 3 games in the Champions League. Flamini and Ramsey then took over in central midfield and we got 21 points from 11 games, but won every cup tie (including against 2 of the teams we had lost against with Santi). We only lost It was only then that things went wrong. We won our first game with Coq/Rambo, but then lost the… Read more »
Spot on. I have been saying this for somewhile (but too lazy to support with numbers) The return of Coquelin has cost us when paired with Ramsey. COmplete car crash. Those criticising Flamini should bear in mind he held us together and gain practically similar points and had to do this with Ramsey plus without some of our better options in the squad bc of injuries. Yet many still like to blame him for the season. Go figure. The Coquelin/Elneny partnership is no better considering last result. It is complete nonsense in the heads of people when the facts are… Read more »
For some reason I’m reluctant to believe it, even though you seem to be right…
There’s gotta be something else..maybe quality of opposition?..
There’s something in the quality of opposition but not much. Flamini and Ramsey I think played in those next 11 league games and away to Olympiakos. Santi definitely played in the home game. 11 league games is quite a lot. We only lost 2. Santi played in 3 losing teams out of 14. (WBA was weird. Coq went off and we were winning, Flamini came on and we were losing. Likewise we can write West Ham off to Cech not being used to playing with our defence. Etc. But we did not lose at Liverpool or Stoke> Beat Man City… Read more »
The Ox looks like he’s squeezing one out in that pic.
Ha ha ha ha, that is true! That photo has always annoyed me and your comment made me laugh.
I don’t care two f**s about The Ox anymore. Come to think of it, your description is an apt summary of his career to date.
These guys who’ve cost us years while they “develop”, will leave and prosper with some other team at some point.
When’s that happened in the past? I can’t think of anyone that’s been better when they’ve left us? So who are you basing that statement off of?
Never fear, half of them will be nicely injured again just in time for the start of next season.
It’s four months until the new season. See ya then folks,for another series of the hilarious slapstick comedy “What Wenger did”.
Boring now
I’ve never received good news with apathy… until now.
Featuring such episodes as: – Leading us to a record number of fa cups – winning the premier league unbeaten – leading us to two European finals – never missing a season in the champions league – building us a (slightly sterile) but pretty outrageous stadium whilst single handedly keeping us in the black. – buying and developing some pretty fucking outrageous players. No matter what you think of him, and I for one think it’s time for him to leave, you can’t be of a sane mind to make light of his achievements. The man is an Arsenal Legend… Read more »
Right on. Interesting to see that we have some wobbly fans among us, only reason that I can think of to thumb you down is to aim at the green hand and fuck up the clicking part of the process.
Ok i see
I wonder how the players can get themselves up for the remaining 6 games when I am this indifferent about anything Arsenal for now. I am only wondering what our penny-wise, pound….manager will do in the summer.
Apathetic fans I can just about cope with (though sometimes I wish they’d just go and start supporting that Middlesex bunch down the road instead — they deserve each other). But your suggestion that the Arsenal players are equally apathetic deserves no respect at all.
Yeah season’s done. They probably have their minds on the euros.
Season is far from over when we are trailling spurs and in real danger of dropping out of top four. That should be enough motivation for fans and players for remaining fixtures.
Some of us dont care about finishing in the top four for a competition we never even go past the round of 16. If we cant win the league, anything else doesnt matter much to me.
Finishing in the top four gives a false sense of success to some. It only helps us financially.
Weather and fair spring to mind
Financial help is good though. It’s really only because we’ve been in the CL for so long we’ve been able to survive as a club without declaring bankruptcy since the Emirates move. (That and selling everyone that mattered, ugh). So no. Many of us care about making it to the CL, whether we do well or not, because a shit, bankrupt Arsenal, to me, is always far worse than an Arsenal that tried and failed. So we won’t win the league. Frankly, I can’t be too arsed to pay too much attention to the games right now either, but I… Read more »
I understand you frustration and feel the same about our chances in the CL, but If you think it’s bad now, imagine how bad it will be if we drop out of the CL. Hint: No, Wenger will not suddenly overpay, no we won’t win the PL thanks to a lighter schedule.
Finishing in the top four means more Arsenal games for me to watch and I am sorry but I love watching Arsenal.
Actually, finishing 5th would most probably give you more Arsenal matches next season as we’d definitely get further in the Europa League, so you should hope we finish 5th if that’s your criteria.
Thanks for that…
@Simon “motivation for fans and players” are u not tired of all these Silly and Predictable Wenger woeful merry-go-round every season?
We have an excellent chance to win the league, I genuinely am bemused by all the negative comments’ 33-1 get on it.
How many places does e/w pay?? 🙂
Too little too late. Would be great to see Cazorla back, he’s good at football.
Unlike Ox, 3 goals and an assist. Top Top Top Quality.
Joke.
Well said. If you get a chance, moon him for me moonie.
Ox pic shows that he just wants to run. Run and collide with Defenders, that’s what you get. Not excited one bit. Carzola, can’t wait to see him again.
Just in time to pass the medicals at Southampton I hope. Enough of waiting for unfulfilled potential. While at it, let’s toss in a Theo as a deal sweetner as well.
PS; Welcome back you little 2 footed wizard. We sure have missed you
Just in time for them to get injured this summer on international duty
I wouldn’t sell Ox due to our injury history but I’d definitely buy someone reliable on the wings, so our season doesn’t depend on Ox when shit hits the fan. Our British core seriously needs some loan spells but British players seem to think they’re “too good” for other leagues.
Ox looks a little haggard, like he’s gone Super Saiyan or something after that injury, which I hope he has!
Bags of potential we shouldn’t give up on him yet, I think its very premature from fans to say that.
Too many fair weather fans nowadays. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, remember there are fans of Sp*rs. And Liverpoo too. It’s not over till the fat lady dies.
LANS!
Ox has great feet and adds a different dimension for us when going forward. A run of games will help him in terms of awareness for the final ball and he can get goals. Defensively, he was a bit naive but he will learn to cut that out of his game. Certainly think he has far more potential than Walcott who seems to only offer goal scoring but when that dries up not much else. So not sure why some people will want to sell the Ox. I bet they are the same people who said Bellerin was not ready… Read more »
Why would anyone prefer not to be in CL beggars belief. Sure we fail to break our own glass ceiling but surely finishing high and in Europe’s top competition for 2 decades is extremely useful. yes you may be able to attract some good players even if you were out of CL but surely its better to have the CL position and all the benefits it will bring to attract as many of the good players as possible and expand the selection ahead of us. As a minimum finish, it is a high standard to guarantee for two decades. Some… Read more »
You completely miss the point. I was just talking about how I feel and then WONDERING how the players are feeling. Please read it again.