Arsene Wenger says there are concerns about the availability of a host of first team stars after Saturday evening’s Wembley win over Wigan.
Nacho Monreal, Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey are all doubts ahead of tomorrow’s game with West Ham United with the boss confirming they’ll each have late fitness tests; fatigue and muscle problems appear to be the main problems.
Slightly more positive is the fact both Tomas Rosicky and Laurent Koscielny could be available, although they too will have tests today. “I will decide today after training do I take the risk with him or not,” he said of centre-back Koscielny.
There was also a positive update on Jack Wilshere, who has begun running again after fracturing a bone in his foot playing for England, and with the next three weeks key to his progress the boss says he should play before the end of the season.
West Ham may not have anything to play for but after a week off and with lumps like Andy Carroll leading the line it’s obvious Sam Allardyce’s side are going to represent a physical test when they visit the Emirates.
Knowing only three points will do in the quest to close the gap on Everton, the boss touched on his side’s need to find their feet early on. “It’s important to focus on the Premier League,” he told press this morning. “We need to find our tempo for a derby game.
“We have a battle with Everton and we must be consistent until the end of the season.”
I don’t think we should be surprised or frustrated anymore.
Before anygame, assume 5 players are doubtful and you’ll be safe of emotional problems (at least Arsenal injury related)
Agreed, injuries and Arsenal go hand in hand nowadays. We need 3 points tomorrow though, whoever plays.
Three points are vital tomorrow. We needs to win every last game in the league to build momentum for the cup final, top four and to ensure we all don’t have a shitty summer!!
Yes but don’t forget. Fourth place is not a trophy and beating Hull in the final means we won’t have the proper trophy, merely a tarnished, shitty version of a trophy.
Now let me complete my application to write for the mail.
Like how Manchester City already won the important trophy. They wanted and got the COC.
Incidentally, Wenger must be one of the most successful managers ever in terms of FA Cup finals now, surely? Stats anyone?
Guys who missed your sense of humour have thumbed your comment down … but its really nice
Big Sam must be touching himself while reading about our injury list. The fat fuck
Expected Ramsey to be rested anyway to be fair…
wasn’t expecting him to play in semi final ahead of Kallstrom either. We take crazy injury risks with our players and then say “he’s a doubt” or “atleast two weeks”- which turns out be three months anyway.
We still have kim kallstrom so thats not a prob
ozil?
the weekend is supposedly a possibility for him.
Time for unleashing the Kall-storm.
I actually think his size (for an arsenal player) might help in these last few games. Seems composed as well, cool heads are needed!
Says alot about his character when he as a loanee volunteers to take a penalty.
and then puts the ship away like a gall or storm…. PEACE OUT GUYS
Will only have about 10 kicks of the ball for Arsenal but one of them got is to a cup final……legend
Lets just assume none of them will be available, then we can be pleasantly surprised if they make the team.
Maybe Kallstrom will actually start a game!
Basically if any fans turn up with there boots they might get a game
I’m on my way
Unfortunately I’m unavailable. Tuesday is too soon to recover from the heart attack I suffered on Saturday.
6 must win games till the end of the season against mid table teams! Is time to be counted!
Seriously i don’t trust arsenal aanymore. I just watch games without expectation and not having a strikeforce is really tearing me apart
Diaby must be so happy to see the treatment room so full and noisy.
haha, it’s not like he’s been in there alone a lot this season though..
Is Mesut Ozil still an ARSENAL player?
Or why hasnt anyone mentioned a single word about him?. Hope he is available though.
If this was an away game then I’d be a bit worried, but playing at home with many fans having just seen the team reach the final of the FA Cup only days before, I think we should be able to deal well with Fat Sam and his Merry Men.
I think we have the worst physio in the world. There is no way we can be this unlucky that after every match 2 players are injured.
We really are down to the bare bones now. I’ll bring my kit just in case
Eastmond…is that you? I thought we’d sold you to Colchester.
Think we can still put a decent team out maybe the bench will be a little light ! Will wenger be tempted to play the 2 big men up front ?
We might have to play the bench itself.
Am I only one that is more frustrated with our injury record this year (and previous years) rather than our form. Our injury record compared to tge rest of the league and the top teams in Europe is an ABSOLUTE JOKE. I’m not talking about fractures and broken bones, I’m talking about strains and the length of time it takes to recover Wenger and the coaching NEED to answer questions about this. It’s almost a scandal.
Same old story. We are never quite good enough. Either we have a storming end to our season because we’re playing catch up from a poor start or we flatter to deceive for months and threaten to collapse at the end.How many more times can this happen? We are short of quality just now mainly because of injuries and fatigue. AW manages this team, chooses the players, no doubt is consulted on decisions made by his medical staff, decides on transfer policy. There is money there and I’m not sure he spends it as wisely as he could. If Liverpool… Read more »
How many times can this happen? For as long as Wenger is at the helm. That’s how long.
Honestly all I am asking is,Give me the FA cup
Yes luck plays an enormous part, but seriously, every year we top at least one table:
http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
Scroll to the bottom, no surprise who’s down there.
Correct me if I’m wrong but they all happened in the last week for Liverpool, Chelsea and City.
Carl Jenkinson has to start some games, doesn’t he?
You know I just cant understand why he has not featured more. Last time we saw him was in the defeat to the chavs in the Carling cup.
Maybe Wenger feels he’s not Premiership material?
Jenks and a few more probably
Doesn’t have to no…
We shouldn’t risk Kieran Gibbs tomorrow, he played 80 minutes vs. Wigan despite not intending to play at all. Playing when he’s ‘fragile’ like this usually we end up losing him for 6 weeks.
Jenks seemed happier than any player Saturday after the victory. Despite some wobbly heading, I think he’s reliable defensively and is quite Sagna-esque going forward too.
Jenkinson at rightback and Sagna over to leftback please. Would be great to have Koscielny back too – Mertesacker’s legs seemed shot after 120 minutes Saturday.
monreal is injured so gibbs plays.
If Sagna might leave, let’s get every last minute out of him we can. Maybe if we haul the cup and CL spot we’ll hear some good news..
Yes we all know. And were all not happy about it. In fact, Arsenal are doing an investigation into the potential causes for our injury record. Of topic…did anyone see arsene answer the question before the game about why hes playing sanogo and not giroud. Answer- We can not play with just one striker all season……well fuck a duck. Arsene did know after all. Nice to see Higuain score a hattrick yday. And Suarez driving Liverpool to the title ;.. (
Have we got any youth team players ? Other teams seem to use them good enough Everton played a 19 year old cb against us and got away with it ! Surely we have got a decent enough youth set up we need to utilise ?
Seems like theres a lot of the youth players that have trained with the first team and made the bench a few times like Bellerin, Eisfeld, Akpom, Gnabry, Hayden, Zelalem et al but Wenger clearly doesn’t think they are ready for the step up, especially at the pressure end of the season.
Is Gnabry back?
Imho the Lord is really suited for this one.
No, Bendtner… no!
Go crazy wenger. How about – schez, Sagna, mert, kos, Gibbs, kallstrom, gnabry, rosicky, cazorla, giroud and sanogo!
finally, someone with a slight sense of humor.
I could get a game as well.. On my way to colney :).. COYG
What happened with Gnabry? We really might need his pace if The Ox is out again.
I think we pissed off the injury gods even more after they saw Abou running…
So bored of everything Arsenal right now. Season ticket up for grabs next year. Mediocre shite at a price.
What chance of seeing diaby in an arsenal team before the end of the season? I would love to see him get a run out if he is available.
He’d probably injure himself in the pre-match warm up
West ham and fat sam have one Carroll who loves noble …
Am I the only one that thinks allardyce looks like boss Nass from Star Wars episode 1 ?
Hah! That’s a really good catch! Now that you mention it, I think Fat Sam looks exactly like Nass!
How is podlski a doubt for tomorrow when he’s been moaning about being subbed against wigan ? Would he have been fit if he’d played the full match ?
120+ minute game on saturday took its toll i Imagine. But sometimes i feel our team is made up of brittle clay figures. But premier league is alot tougher fixture wise than other leagues. So players like Diaby will not be so suceptible to injury because they got more time between fixtures, and other legues are alot less physical than BPL, and then there is the winter break in the MIddle of the season. All of this help players stay fit. And thats why i think Diaby should for his own sake get away from PL, because then he might… Read more »
I would expect to see Ox and Ramsey both starting tomorrow, Ox was clearly suffering from Cramp and Ramsey needs games…
So i guess thats almost the whole team on the bench for west ham? 🙁
How many physios are we allowed in our starting 11?
Podolski is out with a disappointed mind
What’s become of Serge Gnarby? Think he should play tomorrow with Rositcky and Kallstroms experience to guide him.