Arsenal fans were handed some great news by Arsene Wenger yesterday, as he revealed the latest injury news on the Arsenal website and the best part of that was that our French midfield warrior Francis Coquelin is available to play again after being in full training for a couple of weeks.
According to the Evening Standard the manager is set to put him straight back into the first team for the FA cup clash with Burnley tomorrow but the Arsenal fans also expected this cup match to mark the Arsenal debut of our January signing Mohamed Elneny, so will the boss start the two of them together in the centre?
I don’t see why not to be honest, because although the Egyptian can play the holding role he is a bit more of an all rounder and so could well take the place of Aaron Ramsey. Those two would give us great energy and work rate in midfield and if Wenger wants to bring the just back Coquelin off before the end he has a ready made replacement on the pitch in Elneny, increasing his options to change things around.
Do you think Elneny and Le Coq should both start as the Gunners aim to take another step towards FA cup history?
No, give Coq 20 mins runout at the end of the match. He needs to be eased in competition, not pushed in. We have enough players to cover and we don’t have to risk him, it’s just not worth it.
Agree with @Marko
Especially since you can clearly see on the Arsenal training pics that Coquelin still has supportive tapes around his knee.
For sure, yeah I want to see the two of them start. Delighted Coq is ahead of schedule and now Id like to see two of these guys together giving us an idea of how most solid our team could look. Also we can compare the two of them easier when in same side. Really looking forward to getting our first glimpse of Elneny and Coq returning is massive boost. I think Arsene protects incoming players a wee bit too much as he wants them to be fully bedded in and things to go ever so smoothly, but sometimes been thrown into the deep end can tell you more about a player and some flourish in those circumstance.
Elneny to start is by default, if not now then when?? If we are leading then bring le coq in to keep it tight with double pivot we might get an idea of how to cope against barca with them behind Ozil.
Elneny should start we have to give him a run around he is not meant to just a bench figure. Le Coq on the bench then come in for a run around (20-25min) to shake of rustiness right before the Southampton game.
This is no brainer. Start with Elneny and get Coq the last 30 minutes.
OT: Wenger always gives the same reasons when asked about the transfer of strikers.
Today he was asked about chicharitos transfer and what did he say?
We have welbz back
We have walcott
Would he start infront of giroud?
Lol
So lets get this right debuchy could still go & wenger says ” we have plenty of players who can play there?
who is that i ask? worst case scenario bellerin gets injured just as the windows closes. Chambers against Neymaar?? really lol
Gabriel at right back? thats the only option i see but knowing Koscielny injury concerns this season can we risk Mert, Kosc,Gab potentially playing at the same time. Our injury record should make wenger take extra precautions but as always he does the opposite, Chambers is no where near good enough as cover at right back or center back.
Hold your breathe guys its that same old feeling ONCE again
EL-neny and Le coq at the Heart of the Midfield?
I tell u
Nothing will get past that……NOT EVEN WATER *serious face*
Francis shouldnt start he should come on in the 60th min or so and play alongside Elneny for the last part of the game, obv Elneny starts alongside Ramsey and Coquelin replaces Ramsey! Per suspended so we have got Gabriel alongside Boss being assisted by our outgoing Debuchy and benched Gibbs, Bellerin needs all the rest he can gt with Deb leaving and Jenko our for 6months! Monreal is getting a breather! Ospina starts!
Ospina
Deb Gab Koss Gibo
Elneny Rambo (Coq 60m sub on)
Ozil (Rosicky 60m sub on)
Ox Giroud Alexis (Iwobi/Adelaide 70m sub)
My team for tomorrow!
I doubt he will start with Coquelin and Elneny, but they`ll get a run in the 70th minute.
Meanwhile we still haven`t sorted out the centre back pairing. Gabriel should have had more game time with Koscienly and a replacement for Mert should have been seriously considered.
As it is we will face Barcelona with the slowest centre back in the business. The team to face Burnley will be a very conservative one I`m sure. Ramsey and Flamini in mid field, Gibbs will get a run at left back, Mert will hobble around with Kos backing him, Ox will occupy one wing Sanchez the other with Ozil supporting Giroud. Chec will hold up the crossbar. The result on paper would suggest a comfortable win for the Gunners but they have a terrible habit of losing concentration and tying themselves in knots. If Burnley play the long ball in a `kick and chase` game Arsenal could become confused. However, 3-1 to the Gunners.