Per Mertesacker has been included in Arsenal’s squad for the first-leg of our knockout round clash with Bayern Munich.
The World Cup winner required surgery to repair knee ligament damage sustained in the summer but has now made a full recovery. Although he’s not yet played any football this season he was recently included on the bench for the Gunners’ FA Cup game with Southampton.
It’s expected that Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny will line up in the centre of defence. The BFG, seen boarding the plane, and Gabriel will provide back-up on the bench.
Arsene Wenger will also have additional options in the centre of the park with Mohamed Elneny (back from the African Cup of Nations) and Granit Xhaka (not banned, finally) challenging Francis Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for a place in the starting lineup.
After perusing the photos from the final training session we can’t see Lucas Perez, perhaps he’s picked up a knock? We’ll see.
Finally, Yaya Sanogo is back in training, albeit on his own.
Remember him?! ? @Yayasanogoal22 trains alone as @Arsenal prepare for their @ChampionsLeague clash with @FCBayern. #AFC pic.twitter.com/kP1MuKl3Wm
— Hayters Teamwork (@HaytersTeamwork) February 14, 2017
The France youth international hasn’t featured this season with Wenger making some off comments about his fitness earlier in the season.
Good to have Yaya back.
You don’t actually believe that, right?
He wasn’t banned for the CL anyway; just a coincidence the CL is starting as soon as his ban in DOMESTIC football is over.
Who said he was?
I hope Lucas is OK. We need him badly for that game…
I hope Perez isn’t injured, he just can’t seem to get a break this season (no pun intended).
Classic Sanogo. Being fit just in time for a Bayern game
Sanogo scored against Bayern – what a player.
Really? When was that?
I thought it was Dortmund
He didn’t score, but got really unlucky when a fantastic Neuer save denied him.
Happy for Sanogo. Next year will be his breakthrough season, I can feel it. He will be the Adebayor type of striker.
You are probably being sarcastic, but you know what, it just could happen. Seriously, he baffles everyone because he does have everything needed to be an Adebayor type striker in his locker…..(if he learns to be less clumsy in front of goal maybe). lol
OMG FINALLY YAYA SANOGO!!! #amazing #futureofarsenal #missedhimthesepast2years
I hope we start Giroud, he’s a big game player. We also probably will be playing on the counter so having him to win the ball up the pitch could be vital.
If we play on the counter we need speed up front dumbass
Harsh
Sanogo training alone and back for the usual Champions League line up surprise’s by Arsene.Bayern Munich in trouble tomorrow ???
Perez under British weather, no surprises at all.
I’m pretty sure there’s a pic of Lucas in training from this morning on instagram.
Here he is in the background. https://www.instagram.com/p/BQfqSZUBbDA/
That’s Xhaka
Fair enough Blogs… Though you have to admit it does look like Lucas if you squint a bit ? 😀
I love it when sanogo plays. His playing style makes his team mates look like world class ballers.
Yaya is the definition of chaos. But,there is something artistic about his playing style. I love that clumsiness about him. It is a very dangerous weapon to have and i hope we use him effectively. This guy can bully an entire defensive unit on his day.
I really like Yaya too, there’s a rawness and enthusiasm that I love. His salary can’t be much, we should keep him another year to develop and see what happens.
BFG, I think we are looking at experience in case something happens. We have to be very composed against Bayern and not do foolish things.
Sanogo I think will get sold. Just not technical enough.
What happened to the Arsenal liveried Airbus A380 that Emirates said would fly the team to every European game?
Remember that 300 movie? Something something, bringing chaos to the battlefield as a tactic, something.
He’ll be like a new signing 😉
Yaya Sanogo.
A hybrid of Adebayor, Gervinho and Kanu . . .
A vital bit of chaos in in the box in the cup final against Hull that time, allowing us to get the winner.
It what we miss, we are far too predictable at times.