Unai Emery doesn’t believe Dani Ceballos has suffered a serious injury despite his compatriot pulling up in the second half of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Vitoria with what looked to be a hamstring problem.
The midfielder pulled up clutching the back of his left leg during the second half and was eventually replaced by Matteo Guendouzi on 54 minutes despite trying to run it off.
Asked about the Real Madrid loanee, Emery sounded relatively positive.
“We are going to wait for the analysis tomorrow but at the beginning I think it is a small injury,” he told his post-game press conference.
Either way, we’re assuming Ceballos is now a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Leicester.
Emery also took the opportunity to remind his doubters that Arsenal are top of Europa League Group F, even if this performance was more befitting a team of drunk Sunday League players.
“In this competition, our objective is to be first in the group and we have 10 points and we are first,” he said.
“We are going to play the next two matches to make sure of that position, and now we are going to prepare for Leicester on Saturday.
“It’s a new competition and it is very important. But the analysis from this match, I think we worked hard and fought against a team who were very strong defensively, and very organised.
“They played against us with 100 per cent motivation and also with their supporters.
“A little disappointed for the result because we wanted to win, but we are first in the group and we want to make sure of that position in the next matches.”
Having watched his side fail to close out a fourth consecutive game from a winning position and with a six point gap opening on the top four, Emery must know his job is on the line if we don’t deliver three points at the King Power.
“They played against us with 100 per cent motivation” it’s a pity your teams don’t do the same Unai.
Are you sure that is Unai next to Ceballos in that photo? Looks more like Darth Vader, which would make more sense to this hostile take-over we’ve seen.
Oddly enough I got a Sidious vibe when I saw the photo for the first time.
The curse of the 3.50pm kick off.
“We tried with big motivation to prepare disappointment 100% with organisation. They pushed with competitive position etc…”
He genuinely thinks being top of that group is an achievement. The bloke is a complete fucking joke. If they don’t sack him when we lose to Leicester then there needs to be full scale protests. There can’t be any arsenal fan left that seriously wants this guy in charge any more, even if the results pick up I still want him gone.
Carlo Ancelotti Is about to be available, I know it won’t help us against Leicester, but he could maybe fuck shit up with this team no ?
Sorry, there is one, who wants to give him more time. It’s me. My favourite player is Mustafi because he scores when he wants and where he wants.
No worry. £15M Dani will start on saturday even with crutches…
Just stop with the BS £15m figure. It’s boring.
Fully fit squad lasted 1 game
half a game!
He reminds me of Martinez when he was at Everton…
Yet again Arsenal can t win after leading in as many games.
This is criminal and Emery has to take responsibility.
If Arsenal were lose by a big margin on Saturday,he will and not could
be axed.
Wenger lost 8-2 but survived. Shd a similar scenario happened,
I don’t Emery will be spared.
Wake me up when this is over
Yes, Unai, we’re top of the table above european giants Standard Liege, Vitoria and Frankfurt…
Just imagine we were in in CL – being trounced by Bayern/Real/Barca – where we would have being using the first team and not the Mickey Mouse comp team ?
Well, I’m not as sure about even that after I saw what Frankfurt did to Bayern.
All.i read anymore is the headline bloggs posts. anything Emery has to say is pointless
Ok Unai, time to fuck off now.
I wouldn’t mind if we don’t see Ceballos for a while. He’s alright and in demand presumably as long as Xhaka is out. But he takes too many touches, he’s slow and not great defensively. I struggle to think exactly what he can bring which other players can’t to the middle of the pitch.
I don’t understand where this sudden disdain for Ceballos has come from…?
He’s in a new team, in a new league, in a new country AND he only turned 23 years old a few months ago. He’s still young and playing in a very bad system that exposes whoever plays in the centre of midfield.
I’d argue that he’s energetic, can put in a tackle, has great close control and possesses a decent passing ability AND he certainly isn’t the reason we’re in such a hole at the moment so give him a break.
I don’t know whether you can say this about Xhaka
Top against those world beaters ?
I wonder what excuses he’ll come up with after Saturday, because right now, I’m afraid I can’t see owt other than a Leicester thrashing!
We reached the EL final before we met a first quality team last year and what happened then! Shit, Citeh even played with Walker in goal, 10 men and got a draw. Spuds get 4 in Belgrade. Liverpool just plough on.
He can’t see winning a group stage in EL a masterpiece of football.
Oh I bet he does! He doesn’t seem that bothered about winning either, and not just in this competition. Even if Vitoria had gone down to 10 men, we still wouldn’t have won!
Getting worse game by game.. surely Saturday will be the end for Unai… I’m done with this season already……. ☹
Ceballos should be sent back to Madrid. It’s better we give his position to an academy player
well i hope it’s good bye emery come Monday morning.. i believe instead of torriera- guendouzi partnership we’ll see a willock -xhaka partnership as he continues to dig deeper in his search for the tunnel linking emirates with spain