Arsene Wenger has revealed that Aaron Ramsey’s comeback will be delayed, potentially until the League Cup final with Manchester City on 25 February.
The Gunners have travelled to Sweden for their Europa League clash with Ostersund without the Wales international who missed Saturday’s defeat to Sp*rs with a groin problem, said to be minor at the time.
It now looks as though it’s more serious than originally expected, with Wenger telling his pre-game press conference:
“Ramsey is a little bit of a sensitive case. He doesn’t move forward as quickly as I expected. Today I would say certainly he will not be available for the second game against Ostersund. Maybe for the cup final.”
Wenger: "Ramsey is a little bit of a sensitive case. He doesn't move forward as quickly as I expected. Today I would say certainly he will not be available for the second game against Ostersund. Maybe for the cup final."
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) February 14, 2018
The Gunners will also be missing Alexandre Lacazette (out for up to six weeks after an operation on his knee) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (cup tied).
Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere have also not travelled for the game with Matt Macey, Rob Holding, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock making the squad in their place. Danny Welbeck is expected to lead the line for the Gunners.
Explaining the decision to leave some players at home, Wenger added: “One or two had recent problems. Koscielny with his Achilles, Wilshere as well. I don’t know what the pitch is about. I wanted to rest Jack because he was sick several times in the game against Spurs and felt he hadn’t fully recovered.”
Ramsey injured! Shocker!
Lord Bendnter, cuntish. Shocker!
That’s a propos Monday arsecast discussion and some ‚fans’ being extremists and calling players or other fans names on the internet. Well done.
Thanks. It means so much to me.
‘cuntish’
This tickled me
That’s what she said!
We really should be able to get through this, regardless.
All the sudden we became the underdogs.
In theory we should try and pummel the opponents rack up a huge score and then rest some players return leg at home with Caribao cup final in mind.
BUT we are so fragile at the moment. That Spurs loss hopefully does not further erode Mhkitrayn’s confidence. Our midfield looks abject. Cue potential surprise by minnow.
Its their (frozen solid) ground. Potential minefield for us … as per usual.
We all thought so before Nottingham.
I think the weather and pitch might play a big factor, I don’t remember our trips to Eastern Europe in winter being very fruitful. But as a tie, we ought to win it!
Some people accuse me of being overly negative but I lay all the blame with Arsenal for giving me this outlook and they way this week is going I can see nothing but a defeat on Thursday. I hope I’m wrong, I love it when we win but every tell tail sign is there.
Yep, another opportunity for us to mess up,why do we always do it the hard way? And with nearly welbeck upfront,not very inspiring.
Arsenal fans (they won’t admitted) are generally optimist. How else would you explain them sticking around season after season in hope. More realistic (mercenary) fans go to United, Chelski, City. Our optimism is guised under a thin veneer of sneering caustic sarcasm. Once we get a win under the belt, its all rosy in the world again. Once we buy just about any player, its all forgiven. Time and time again, we hope for the best but get delivered the worse. I don’t think it will end even with Wenger gone. The current set up in the purchasing team is… Read more »
“Fans” never ever go anywhere else. Ever.
Arsenal fans?…… We will?…… Make up your mind bro…… Where dyu belong
We pinned our colours to the mast, so it’s too late, anyhow what would football mean to you if you could just go off willy nilly chasing the trophies all round the country. We are Arsenal and we are de…..pressed, but that’s life, deal.
good call. it’s always best to shift blame.
A tip of the cap to the “supporters” on this thread really getting behind the team.
Well done, all.
This is bad. No Wilshere and no Ramsey = very average, very pedestrian deep midfield (unless a youngster like Willock suddenly takes his chance and looks brilliant).
Ozil and Micki must both start and deliver, or I can see them sitting deep and us struggling to break them down with lots of sideways passing. When you add in the absence of Laca and Auba, and our tendency to give away very cheap goals, especially away from home, and I too worry about an ugly upset.
Jack is the only player who can carry the ball for us.
Ramsey, Granit and Elneny can’t receive and turn with the ball.
The other option is not AMN who is inexperienced and does not track runners diligently enough into the box yet.
I feel Iwobi could be a better option deeper. He is physically strong, has great control, can turn and carry and in a deeper position can see things better for a forward pass (like the service to Lacazette last game)
Or before that one great pass get pushed and bullied off the ball, make bad passes all over the pitch and lack positional awareness.
Iwobi ???..bullied off the ball …..dont make me laugh …..he rarely loses the ball when it gets stuck to his feet
Totally agreed caligunner. Defending Iwobi makes sense. Bigging him up on the basis of the Totts game when he was just awful is just bizarre….but hey it’s santori…
Ramsey Forever injured
Frankly Ramsey is better higher up the pitch. He is similar to Mhkitaryan and Ozil. Which is why we are so easily funneled into the middle (and congestion where ‘pace matters little). OTOH we are lacking pacy players out wide and genuine creative players who can dribble and take on a man or two from the wide areas. Rather than say a Mahrez, we committed ourselves (forced upon really) to yet another player that thrives more centrally. Think of all the pace gone with the Ox, Gnabry, Alexis. The only ‘pace’ we have is up top but it is less… Read more »
I suggest an Arseblog Santori drinking game:
Mentions Mahrez, take a drink!
Iwobi as a deep-lying CM, drink!
AMM not ready yet, drink!
Flamini not as bad as people say, take a shot!
Feel free to add your own.
Make laughably simplistic arguments while simultaneously calling other posters simpletons, take a drink!
I want to see the return of some of the classics:
elasticity
school of hard knocks
no such thing as plan B
Pastore as a central midfielder
You forgot his hate of Elneny.
“I wanted to rest Jack because he was sick several times in the game against Spurs..”
I know it’s february but that sounds a bit extreme
Pretty impressive performance if he was throwing up..
He hasn’t signed on contract yet.
I believe there are rumblings that we are tracking Max Meyer who could be an alternative should Jack not decide to take the (frankly ludicrous) pay cut
To be fair, I felt a bit queasy during the Spurs game myself.
Comment of the day here
Not as sick as the fans after the game!
Maybe, just maybe Wenger will play Maitland-Niles in his natural midfield position? Yeah probably not…:-(
Too inexperienced.
he doesn’t track runners even when playing fullback.
Those who think he can shoulder the responsibility are delusional and blind.
Maybe just maybe don’t.
He’s got to get his experience somehow. He’s got incredible recovery speed (as the boss pointed out) and he can move with the ball at his feet when required. It’s a shame we don’t have Bielik with the squad to have a go at solidifying the midfield, but I don’t think it is crazy to give AMN a shot at bringing his quickness to the position.
It isn’t crazy to give AMN a go. It certainly would be to give Bielik a go. He’s miles away yet.
If we fail to qualify for Europe then season then that will mean less money from sponsorship and gate receipts.
That would mean the end of Wenger.
That is all I want.
With him gone we can move on…
maybe
No.
we have the balls to underestimate an european opponent away from home in our current form? hope we don’t see a forest replay..
Video of the janitors shoveling snow at Jämtkraft Arena, https://www.instagram.com/p/BfLkAdkhWL1/
For those interested, the two elderly gentlemen have apparently shoveled the entire arena by themselves. Respect!
Ramsey scores brilliantly, gets injured, out for a few games, another few games to get back to full match fitness, gets back to his best self again, rinse and repeat.
I guess you feel entitled to something else?
It gets better and better.
First waste effort reconstructing the attack in January unnecessarily…get rid of Giroud buy a striker for a lot of money who is cup tied.
Next do not address midfield. Now we lose Jack who has been key to some level of betterment in our recent performance because he carries the ball.
Cue Elneny and Granit in midfield neither of whom can receive and turn with the ball.
I half expect an upset on hand…by Ostersund.
Brilliant January transfer window.
Seeing as this game is on an artificial pitch, I would have been really surprised if any of Ramsey, Wilshere or Koc had played.
The fitness status of these two undoubtedly talented midfielders must make Arsenal to take their pursuit of BOTH Ozyakup and Meyer more seriously.
Ozyakup? Really? Why?
I was sick several times watching Spuds make fools of us !!!
Nice comment Danny!
No Koscielny either?
One of Mavropanos Holding and Chambers or maybe two of them plus Mustafi for a 3 at the back or one plus Mustafi and Monreal.
Great buy Aubameyang. Cup tied for the job never mind no midfielder in.
Though the conditions won’t be ideal, we’ll get the job done tomorrow and I think Danny will be very effective for us. Chambers should get the nod to fill in for Koscielny, and hopefully a little more quickness in the central midfield will give us the platform to attack efficiently.
Welbeck is going to be key.
I think Danny to be fair has also suffered bc he has been shunted wide left in recent seasons.
He needs to be central and bullying the ball into goal.
He has the power to succeed following Giroud but his touch is often erratic. Sometimes good sometimes shocking.
Mahrez is the key
Once again, Jack “gets” the club. I was sick a couple of times during the Tottenham match too.
Considering the dodgy surface it’s wise to ground a few of our key players for this. Especially if there are fitness concerns involved. I reckon it’ll be a tough game tomorrow and we’ll do well to hang on and get a draw. We should play this safe and at least try not to lose.
Then when we host them at our gaff we’ll take them apart!
We need Özil to get a goal or two. He can do it!
can he
Hmmm, might of had a chance with them two in the side
Im thinking welbeck hatrick. He will take this opportunity of playing upfront, itll probably be his last big chance to stake a claim for that position.
“Jack was sick several times in the game against Spurs.” So was I, especially in the second half.