Arsenal may have finally got a bit of good luck in drawing French club Monaco in the next round of the Champions League, but we need that luck to carry on for us and help is out of the latest injury crisis to afflict the club this season.
It is not yet certain, but a report in The Mirror reveals that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a real doubt for the trip to face Liverpool at Anfield this weekend. This would be a huge blow for Arsene Wenger and the Gunners, and not just because the Ox has been in great form for us this season.
The dynamic young Englishman was already our last decent option to fill the central midfield box-to-box role, which is now looking like a poisoned chalice, as Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are already on the injury list. The next best option is the more defensive double pivot, but that normally means Mikel Arteta and our captain is not available yet either.
The manager said, “He got a knock. He’s got a pain in his groin. I took him off quickly. I wanted to take him off, and then he takes the ball and crosses the whole pitch and [after that piece of action] he cannot run anymore.
“We cannot afford to lose him at the moment. I hope it’s nothing bad. He had a little bit of inflammation before the game. I took him to Galatasaray and maybe two games [in five days] was a lot for him.”
So Wenger is hoping that an injection administered this week to the Ox to fix the groin problem that forced him off against Newcastle, will have the desired effect and allow him to play on Sunday. If not, how will Arsenal get round this latest injury problem?