Arsenal have a host of injuries to contend with ahead of tomorrow night’s Europa League clash with Standard Liege, and Sunday’s clash with Man City.
The most serious appears to be confirmation of a dislocated shoulder sustained by Kieran Tierney during Monday’s 3-1 win over West Ham. The Scotland international now faces a period on the sidelines, although the official update says he’s ‘currently undergoing further assessment and investigations’, he’s likely be out for some time.
Granit Xhaka will miss both game after he got hit in the head with the ball at the London Stadium and suffered a concussion; Hector Bellerin’s hamstring keeps him out of the Europa League, as does a knee injury for Nicolas Pepe – which no doubt stemmed from that brutal challenge from Aaron Crewsell.
FFS pic.twitter.com/h70RvJ2Yk4
— arseblog (@arseblog) December 9, 2019
Meanwhile, Rob Holding is not expected to return to full training for another couple of weeks because of a knee problem, while Dani Ceballos remains sidelined with a hamstring strain.
Whatever about the Liege game, these problems certainly provide Freddie Ljungberg with plenty of thinking ahead of what’s sure to be a very difficult Man City match on Sunday.
Time for the kids to shine…
That challenge from Creswell on Pepe…ouch. Surely can’t be just ‘welcome to english football’, its more like an assault.
He did it twice, both of them should have been reds. The scissor kicking dick head.
Just when it seems out injury situation is improving we lose half a team
my lineup for liege:
martinez
AMN Chambers Luiz Kola
Guendouzi Burton/Willock
Willock/ESR
Reiss Laca Saka
too bad we can’t rest more of our PL defenders.
maybe Saka at LB and ESR on the wing?
he’s played at lwb quite a bit for the u23 and is alright defensively. if only we didn’t sell nacho for peanuts
Nachos for Peanuts, who’d have guessed!
I like the original line up you suggest, but not sure about Saka at LB, for me. I’d possibly bring Mustafi in and move Luiz into DM, as we desperately need experience in the middle. Mustafi is a worry in the PL but seems pretty suited to Europa. Martinez, AMN, Chambers, Mustafi, Kolasinac. Luiz, Willock. ESR. Nelson, Lacazette, Saka. Save Guendouzi for City (alongside Torreira), and if things look secure against Liege bring Burton on in the second half for whichever player looks most likely to contribute against City. We need to make sure Chambers doesn’t get a knock, as… Read more »
Mustafi is suspended for this game
Ah bollox you’re right, sorry guys… You know you’re in The Outer Limits when you’re trying to find a way to squeeze in Mustafi ?
Mustafi has a suspended brain that results in brainfarts every 45 seconds….
yee I like ur lineup better, but Mustafi suspended apparently?
I’d prefer our regular U23 left-back, Tolaji Bola, in that position (it is the perfect game to make his first team debut). Saka is better suited on the wing and Smith-Rowe as a number 10.
Lining up as a 4231 seemingly suits our personnel the best right now, as well as perhaps being the formation where the players are clearest on their tactical roles and responsibilities.
Burton isn’t ready.
Rest Chambers and AMN for City, play Luiz and Mavropanos and Sokratis in a back 3
mavropanos is pretty shit tho, haven’t impressed in the games I’ve seen with the u23s.
What about trying Mav at DM, with some more experience at CB? We can’t carry on not using him, he came with a lot of promise, the sooner we get him used to playing the better, his worth must be falling. The worry about his concentration/sharpness would be lessened in midfield, and he likes the ball at his feet, there’s some potential there surely. If fit I’d certainly have him on the bench, give him the last 25-30mins depending on score.
Not sure this is a game to “try” things… we need this win so need the best available to help us get if.
Sorry my response was a little jumbled, I just meant if we had a solid lead at around the 60/70min mark and we needed to rest players for the weekend. We might happen to find a decent option in the middle whilst the injury hoodoo is on us again.
Odd, just read an article about how he’s become a mainstay in the u23 lineup and pretty stable.
Get Mavropanos in there
Well this is fucking shit. Especially frustrated about Pepe, Tierny and Bellerin.
If Hector’s form and injury records don’t improve by the end of the season, I wonder whether he’s someone who’s situation we’ve got to look at re selling? He was fantastic when he first emerged, then hit something of a lull, had a brief (and admittedly promising resurgence) initially under Emery and has reverted back to being rather underwhelming. I know it’s a huge injury to come back from but really he hasn’t put together a run of more than probably 5 games injury free and in good form for what.. Three years? Obviously he seems like a proper Arsenal… Read more »
How does Xhaka gets a concussion? Must’ve mistimed ducking out of a header.
Truth hurts for some people.
Your spot on
I said it at the time, that he would be concussed from where the ball hit him. It hit him on a part of the head where the bone is thinner, therefore more likely to cause concussion.
Happened to a fella I play 5 aside with. Ball hit him in the same place and knocked him spark out. Also had concussion. He was OK which is good, but was funny as he is a Spurs fan!!
I cant tell if blogs is joking on that one ha
Read interesting report on sky. Xhaka and Guendouzi involved in more errors than any other midfield pairing since start of last season. You only had to watch Xhaka against West Ham to see what a liability he is. Please ship him out in January.
tbf it seemed kinda karmatic how he ducked out of the way (not for the first time) yet later in the match got the ball blazed at his head and it concussed him.
Imagine how much more valiantly he would be perceived if his concussion happened in stopping a goal.
Xhaka is such a weird dude. Trust arsenal to find the only hard man/pretty boy in world football. We really are gloriously unique and inclusive club.
Insensitive! A man has just been concussed in the line of duty for your team and you’re mocking him and saying things in jest. I get banter but this is low
The situation has a familiar feel to it – there have been times in the past when every win seemed to come at the cost of another injury.
Fuck Mike Dean how was that Creswell challenge not a red card?
It wasnt even yelow card. Dean is a cunt.
How many games has he reffed us this season. The whole Referee crew bent as the come!
Swear their goal was hand ball too.
Unpalatable situation. Hopefully, Pepe is fit by the time City visit.
For the City game, would it be prudent to start Ozil seeing as we won’t be seeing much of the ball and he isn’t known to do a lot of chasing or actual challenging? Or to go instead with a flat three of central midfielders, with Martinelli and Pepe on either side of Auba?
Ozil to be brought in if we are chasing the game toward the end?
I get the logic, but there is also the idea that Ozil isn’t as susceptible to the fast counter press, and has a way better chance of releasing Auba/Pepe (please be fit). I’m 50/50 on it, will be interesting to see what Freddie does.
I’d say our history against the likes of City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich suggests that Ozil is no less vulnerable to the press than any of our other midfielders. But we’re not stacked at AM so he should probably get the nod anyway. Lingard of all people was able to ruffle City’s feathers last weekend, Ozil should be able to manage to that at least.
In fact I was just thinking about the line up for City and it seems very logical to have a three man defence with Martinelli and Auba (considering Pepe’s injury) on the wings and Laca (good form at home and hold up play needed against a pressing team) central. Ideally Ozil should be excluded from the starting eleven and the team set up for the counter attack.
That’s a fairly blunt assessment of Ozils involvement in a counter attacking team. He isn’t the most vociferous presser, but what he does extremely well in such a team, is find space to be an out ball, hold and turn to release runners. He can be invaluable if we are intending to sit and counter and not just sit and hopefully draw. I hope we use him, but we will need to make sure the wingers are energetic as they will have to track back and be willing runners on the counter.
best form of defence can be attack some times. We are not keeping a clean sheet anyways. I say lets work on ways to hurt them.
Bullies dont flex their mucsles as much if they know something is coming back towards them.
So if one was to bet …… You give arsenal you are in shit
I had actually forgotten about Ceballos!
Especially frustrating for Pepe and Tierney, seemed like both of them were about to kick on. It does give Saka and potentially Nelson a chance to impress though, the former a ready made Pepe replacement. Nelson has perhaps seen his stock fall in comparison to Saka and Martinelli, Emery never really seemed to fancy him, but hopefully he takes his chance if Freddie calls on him.
Tierney will likely be out for 6-12 weeks. I really like him, but I said in the summer he had giant red triangles all over him. Hip Injury Jun 17, 2019 Sep 18, 2019 93 days Groin Surgery May 7, 2019 Jun 9, 2019 33 days Hip Injury Apr 19, 2019 May 2, 2019 13 days Cals Sclerosis Mar 31, 2019 Apr 5, 2019 5 days Hip Injury Dec 7, 2018 Feb 22, 2019 77 days Knock Nov 15, 2018 Nov 22, 2018 7 days – Calf Injury Mar 16, 2018 Apr 7, 2018 22 days Ruptured ankle ligaments Oct… Read more »
Nelson, Willock and others may shine
I can see Tierney fading away to a reserve team player. I appreciate the injury on Monday was not his fault but he has never been fit since he arrived at the club – quite why he is so highly rated eludes me. That is the problem with Arsenal there are players who are never really fit – Tierney, Bellerin etc. and players who are not good enough to play in the Premiership – Sokratis, Xhaka, Luiz etc. and players who don’t want to be at the club – Ozil, Aubameyang and no players who are both good AND want… Read more »
…..and I thought Boris was the biggest idiot I have ever heard!
We explicitly bought Tierney for the long term and you have written him off in less than a season. Get a grip lad.
Make that less than half of a single season. Way to go
This isn’t the Arsenal we wanted back is it?
Unfortunately it’s often the Arsenal we get…we have to suck it up though, plenty of teams have injuries and just soldier on through. If we play people with passion and determination we should be ok…in the Liege game at least.
I would leave the team as unchanged as possible. With the exception of who is in goal.
This team needs confidence, not rest. Allow them to build on West Ham and then go into the man city game with some belief and fight.
lose by less than 3 goals and we move on… play the kids saka at lb
Blood the youths, Fred.
To All Potential Managers and your agents….there is a vipers pit awaiting at Emirates stadium. Unless you are some alien cross between Wenger/Ferguson/Klopp/Guardiola/Cruyff avoid this job right now at all costs. Ownership has no good will with the 60-75% of fans who hate them. Even if the owners try and protect you the 25-50% of fans who are unwilling and incapable of patience and hope…they will inject venom into your body and spirit until you and possibly your career wither and die. The current players know it, potential players know it, opposing teams know it and ownership knows it. For… Read more »
Fucking English football……..That’s a red and a leg breaker….. disgusting.
Mike Dean…..not even yellow.
Saw one last night……..a PNE player with a reputation, on a Fulham chap……fine margins and it’s a Brocken leg……he got yellow.
As I mentined many times, we need ALL our assets to be firing. No over imagined ‘masterclass’ of Tierney over Kolasinac who frankly has been very good recently. No Torreira over Granit bc when Granit was out, it wasn’t as if Torreira/GUendouzi were anymore water tight or not playing side balls. These are imagined preferences some people like to hold without reality as a basis. And as can be seen, without Granit, Ceballos, midfield is again very thin in asset. Having to rotate out Ozil keep momentum going, we will end up cycling in younger players but now at potential… Read more »
Why is it that when players from other clubs have a hamstring injury they are back playing a week later. Yet for Arsenal players they disappear for the rest of the season?