Injury crisis forcing Arsenal to sacrifice FA cup or Champions League?

Arsene Wenger has already had to cope with more than his fair share of injury and fitness problems in the Arsenal squad this season and once again at the weekend it nearly caused the Gunners a potentially fatal blow to our Premier League title hopes when we lost first Gabriel and then Laurent Koscielny.

The fact that the boss had to cope without the two centre backs that would probably have been the starters for the4 big match against Leicester City did not end up costing us this time but I do not think we can rely on a Welbeck goal in the dying seconds of a crucial game too often.

Kieran Gibbs was also missing from the match day squad because of a knock picked up in training and that makes three defenders out and three central midfielders in the shape of Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, so these are two areas where the manager has to be especially cautious.

With an FA cup clash with Hull City just a few days before the visit of Barcelona in the Champions League, Wenger has some big decisions to make about team selection and rotation. I do not think he can afford to risk our Premier League title challenge too much and so may have to sacrifice a little bit in the cup competitions.

Perhaps we could go with a more attacking team for Hull, with a second choice defensive line up including Chambers, Flamini and Mertesacker. And then we could rotate and go with our strongest defenders like Koscielny, Chambers and Coquelin to stop the threat of Barca.

By splitting, however, we would reduce our chances in both cups and so maybe it is time to think about one or the other. What do you guys think?

Tags Gabriel Koscielny

16 Comments

  1. Sometimes sacrificing one tournament/competition to accommodate another have a way of backfiring. You could end up losing out in all competitions..

    I say go into every tournament with a chance and believe. This is where rotation comes in….

    We can start a decent side against Hull and a stronger side against Barcelona….Try and keep everyone fresh with a bit of rotation. Any player given the nod should give his best and bring his A Game.

    We can win the league and FA cup……….Champions league is a big ask as we have to pass Barca first but we can stun the world by knocking them out or get knocked out but with a fight and good game.

    Ignoring any competition for another could end up backfiring…..That’s my take…….

    1. Thanks for spilling the beans

      i was bout 2 say that meself!

      But knowing wenger, he may have it in his head to forfeit one for the other …..who knows???

      WINNERS TAKE ALL!

  2. We need to be in all the competetion no point even being envloved if we are going to just give up and focus on others. we do not know where the silverware is coming from this season.. We should play a half decent squad against Hull

    Iwobi/Campbell/Eleney/Welbeck/Gibbs(if fit)/Ospina should be a few of the players we should use against them.

    Leaving the likes of Sanchez and Ozil to get mentally prepared to take the fight to the Giants at Barcelona…

    COYG!! Wenger play smart and make good selection please!!!

  3. I think this game v Hull..

    Cech
    Flamini Per Chambers Gibbs/U21
    Ox Mo
    Joel Iwobi Welbeck/Jeff
    Walcott

    I would play Cech given we’re probably defensively weaker. He could play 3 games a week without burning out. I would give Ox a chance in the middle from a deeper position and with instruction to Mo to hang back.

    Joel and Iwobi start – no question. I don’t know whether I would start Jeff on the left and have Welbeck as the striker or go with Welbeck left and Walcott as striker but I am sure we will see some permutation of that.

    Definitely rest hector, Monreal, Sanchez, Ozil, OG12, Ramsey, Coquelin.

    Mo will score and we win!

  4. We have a lot of our players uninjured
    So I don’t see the need to sacrifice anything

    Gk: cech, ospina
    Def: koscielny, mert, Gabriel, monreal, Gibbs, chambers, debuchy
    Dm: Coquelin, Eleney, Chambers, flamini, Arteta
    B2B: Ramsey, Eleney, Ox
    CAM: Ozil, Ox, Alexis
    Wing: Walcott, Alexis, Welbeck, Ox, Campbell, Ramsey
    CF: Giroud, Welbeck, Walcott, Alexis

    Btw: I think we should Def use Danny at Old Trafford. Like in the FA Cup last season lol

  5. Hahaha ???
    Don’t worry…. Barcelona will help us sacrifice the champions league!… So there’s no need to strain ourselves with that competition.
    And it’s only Hull City in the Fa cup, So Give our youngsters a run out, whilst keeping a few of our key players on the bench, just incase… if they are needed. ?

    Hopefully Koscielny and Gabriel will be fit for the Man utd game! ….. fingers crossed.

    1. When we beat B Munich at home this season we were thinking similar, and if that had of been aggregate I believe the second leg would have went differently esp considering away goal rule. So lets try to use those same tactics against barca and see if we can sneak a win, or even a draw then going over there to do a leicester city on them. Our man marking on Bayern was superb. Shackling the forwards will be tough, but if we can get under Suarez’s skin ala Costa style he is the type that could win it for them or blow it big time …it’s football ..surprising things do happen. Finally, hope we get a fair and impartial ref.

      1. Barca are on a whole other level though, they outpossessed Bayern who outpossessed us. And Suarez ripped us apart with Liverpool what do you think he’s gonna do with Messi and Suarez besides him ? Lol, I don’t have any hopes cause it’s obvious how the tie is gonna end.

  6. no excuses,we’v had these injuries for long that wev got stronger immunity to it than any other club…a plan B is available with us already considering the squad that is fit.

  7. I really hate senseless alarmist articles like this….Gabriel, Gibbs, Kos all picked up knocks and will be fully fit and ready by the weekend, and that is still a good 3 days away…the other injuries mentioned were long time…..its not a must to post stuffs on here you know?….causing unnecessary alarm by click baiting only makes writers look desperate for attention….go find a job!!!!

    1. My did you get out of bed the wrong way. The article asks a question about rotation between the games. And I presume you have a job? Because not every body is as lucky as that nowadays.

      But to the point. I want, and I am sure Arsene Wenger will agree, to rest as many first team players this weekend as possible. We have a couple of defensive peoblems but we nearly have a big enough squad to play two full teams. Use them

  8. @damochy. Picked up knocks I hear you say. I thought gabs was a hamstring and kos his hip pro lem again. I hope you are right and they’ll be ready but I suspect not. Bit of rotation is needed through careful substitutions but I’d hope our first teamers could manage both games. Let’s pray for no more injuries. As said before I think we could field 12 outfield players against barca from our best pick and still lose. Not trying to be negative just a realist.

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