Johan Djourou and and Yossi Benayoun will be unavailable this weekend against Bolton Wanderers after both picking up slight muscular problems in the win against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday.
Arsene Wenger had positive news though about other long-term absentees hinting that Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen are in line for comebacks after the international break, whiel Sebastian Squillaci could challenge for a spot next week.
Speaking to Arsenal.com, the coach confirmed:
“Squillaci is one week away. Benayoun and Djourou will miss the next week due to muscular problems. It is the thigh for Benayoun and the hamstring for Djourou. Everybody else is OK.
“Diaby is three or four weeks. Vermaelen is just over two weeks. So it should be after the international break for both of them.”
Having been substituted in the second half against Blackburn Rovers, there had been doubts about the fitness of Bacary Sagna for Saturday, but the Frenchman allayed fears hinting his compatriot along with Aaron Ramsey should be fine for selection.
“They are both OK. Sagna has a fitness test on Friday but I expect him to be OK. He got a kick on his thigh at Blackburn and had to come off. His first test was encouraging. He will have a final one on Friday. Ramsey is alright and he will be in the squad.”
Understood to be wearing a protective boot for another two weeks the Arsenal website did not ask about Jack Wilshere, with the player still thought to be a long-term absentee.
Is Rosicky (our perennial ‘new signing’) so irrelevant to Arsenal now that nobody even bothers to ask about him?
yes.
“Rosicky is back in the squad. Sagna and Ramsey had positive tests this morning.”
Yea!
Also, who said Squillaci is going to play? Mmmmmm? Name names. Point fingers. Poke eyes.
I’m quite upset that we’ll have Squillaci playing, I just hope we have two defensive midfielders to help.
Wenger didnt mention Wilshere among the injured.. And he said “everyone else is ok”. Does it mean WIlshere is ok? Vermaelen close to return? Yipeee! I just hope Kevin Davies does’nt injure half of the team!
Wilshere is still injured. So much so, the Arsenal website didn’t even bother asking him about him. Don’t get your hopes up.
“I have some good news and some bad news: Bad news first, Squillaci is fit, but the good news is: Djouroou is out”
ha ha ha….
Guys you should have learnt by now that personnel inst the issue! I guarantee if Smalling or Jones was at Arsenal, we would label them as shite or they’ll be injured, reallly cant explain it. Djourou last season was like our saviour, all of a sudden he’s cack. Mertersacker is a german international, he plays a few games for us and now he’s tripe. I remember Squillachi at Sevilla, although he wasnt incredible, he was a commited and efficient, not so for Arsenal. Kosceinly is a bit Jekyl and Hyde, he does well one week & the next he’s an… Read more »
Excellent post, Alpha t (but a silly name). The real problem with our defending is Wenger, Rice and Mr P. With their coaching, even Dixon, Winterburn, Adams and Keown would have probably shipped in over 100 goals per season.
Wenger is to defensive coaching what Bernard Manning was to good race relations.
After 30 years of coaching you really think that Wenger is not capable of doing a proper job?
Actually, 75 Cents (another silly name), seeing as we’ve just conceeded 14 goals in just 5 games, I would say no.
By the way: if I gave you 25 cents would you change your name to Dollar?
what about Jack??
The film with Robin Williams?
Terrible.
You, sir, are correct.
What’s the story with Rosicky? I’d rather have him available than Ramsey at the minute. Nowt against Rocky but I’d rather have a cool calm head at the minute.
[…] Ahead of tomorrow’s match, Arsene has given his pre-match conference, and gave the updates on injuries. […]
wonder if the djourou injury is the same one almunia picked up when his form went down the shitter?
25 years ago Arsenal used to take ungainly, awkward centre backs and turn them into thoroughbred winners – adams, keown, colin pates
today we take thoroughbred youngsters – swiss tony, djourou , igors stepanovs – and turn them into clogging hoofers
weird weird weird
can anyone spot the dliberate mistakes in there, btw?
If they’re deliberate they’re not mistakes.
Hey Buddy,
Mistake number one.. ‘Sam’ isn’t the only Nelson? Remember Vivas!?!
Mistake number two.. ‘diliberate’ is, in fact, spelt deliberate!?
What do I win, dude?
Dear Yankee Doodle Cheeseburger Munching Clot by Proxy …
Mistake number one … Addressing someone … anyone … as ‘Buddy’.
Mistake number two … ‘diliberate’ is quite valid … it was used extensively by Shakespeare in both the Heminges and Condell, and the second folios, though not later. See Hamlet IV iii 9 in earlier versions. (Bod. BL)
Mistake number three … two parts … (a) thinking you could possibly win something for pointing out … you know … whatever. And (b) after breaching etiquette by calling the poster formally known as ‘Buddy’ … ‘dude’.
Kudos to Elenor for using ‘clot’. I haven’t heard that word in years.
@ smeer: eh? what semantic pedantry is this?
@ YDCMC: obviously, a cheeseburger. it’s in the post
sorry. I just had to say it. I was being pedantic on purpose and I admit that, yes, it is very childish. Sometimes I just can’t help myself though. It’s not anything against you. Not trying to rain on your parade or anything. Just being cheeky.
I only wish we had a clogging hoofer.
I think I spotted the deliberate mistake, you listed stepanovs as a thoroughbred youngster…..he wasn’t that young was he? Am I right?
ahahaha stepanovs was young, or at least the impression i got when watching him was that it was like seeing the faltering, teetering steps of a newborn foal enter the world, blinking.
make that a faltering newborn spastic foal
On ice!
juggling white hot spanners
Umm, yes, you spelt deliberate wrong dilberately.
What do I win?
Hey Fatbelly, read the replies before trying to be clever, you buffoon.
(Does insulting yourself on here save you from being laughed at for repeating a joke somebody already made?)
[…] Wenger earlier updated on the fitness of Thomas Vermaelen and Abou Diaby. Follow @arseblognews […]
fatgooner, do you know who the coaches were at Arsenal during the invincible season? Wenger, Rice and Primorac.
Impressive, Eleanor! However, “dliberate” is certainly not valid 🙂
ignore this queynte
Fuck Chaucer. He was a Spurs fan.
heh
I’ve noticed recently, through being super observant and following subtle signs that most people would have overlooked, that a lot of young footballers play console games and use a thing called Twitter. Something for keeping twits occupied, I suppose. If this is the case then it is not a huge leap of faith to assume that some young footballers surf the web. If that is so then a smaller leap might be to assume that a young Arsenal player might very well browse the first Arsenal Blog to show up on Google when you search Arsenal Blog. So it is… Read more »
Poor dears. Self confidence and ‘esteem’ issues is it? Awww. Never mind – they always have their 30-40-50-60k per week of hard earned, average industrial wage Arsenal supporters money to console them in their crises.
For that kind of dough, and considering where it comes from, it should be 100% enthusiasm. 100% of the time. Instead of the bollocks currently been slapped up week in week out. Fuck’s sake. Man the fuck up.
true, but equally, footballers can be a thick skinned lot. witness the story about gazza when he was kettering manager. on the coach on the way back from a game. don’t know if it googles, but it’s… well. almost as eye-opening as the one about shitting into a plastic cup from on top of a cupboard. but that was somebody else, can’t remember who. someone in the england set up i think?
Steve Harrison I think, what a card!
Man, this confidence crap is so overfuckingrated. It’s like that scene in “The Natural” – “Losing…is a disease”. These twats don’t need confidence, they need to play team defense.
What happens if we don’t make 4th this season? Worse, what if Spurs get fourth? I hope Wenger can save the day, because if not, he and many underachieving/old players have to go.
If you compare the players at Mu and Arsenal the last five years,there is a higher turnover of staff at OT.That is why they are successful.The deadwood are kicked out. In contrast,Wenger still keeps them eg Alumunia,Rsicky,etc.In fact Alumunia should have been sold way back back in 2006. Now we have Wenger saying the gunners are still in the fight for the epl crown. I know nothing is impossible and anything is possible.Please beat Bolton and Spurs. Otherwise he will make a fool of himself and Arsenal. The warning signs that the gunners aint good enough defensively have been there… Read more »
Attention all Gooners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Matchday grub has a new dimension!!!! Gastro 2 Go!!!! Check us out on St Thomas’s road before the game. We’ve got something special for ya! Happy days folks and see you there!