When we saw the Arsenal team sheet for the Capital One Cup game against Southampton last week, we knew that the Gunners would be up against it with the Saints having a great start to the season and able to pick more of their first choice players. But we understood.
After all the problems Arsenal suffered with injuries last season, Arsene Wenger accepted that he sometimes over played certain players and he brought two new experts to the club in the summer to help him to avoid a repeat of the situation this season. So resting the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta seemed like a risk but the right thing to do in looking at the long term picture.
So it is no wonder that Wenger was left scratching his head after losing both of the key midfielders on Saturday; the Welshman with a hamstring problem and the Arsenal captain with a calf injury. In an ESPN report the Frenchman admits that this has left him struggling to understand why resting the players did not have the desired effect.
Wenger said, “We have to really look at what happened.
“There’s no logic as it’s two players who were not involved in the week – no Arteta, not Ramsey – and they had quite a light week for them. We have to analyse what happened there. I don’t understand.”
And what makes it worse for the Gunners is that we always seem to get a spate of injuries in the same area. Losing three central midfielders, including Jack Wilshere who turned his ankle, in one game is just crazy and leaves Wenger with a real selection headache with two massive games this week. I am starting to think that it really is just bad luck after all.
What do you think Gooners?