Every season at some point, if not throughout the whole thing, Arsenal seem to have an injury crisis. We will never know for sure if losing Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott and more cost us the Premier League title a few years ago or whether we would have beaten Leicester City to the trophy last season if Coquelin, Cazorla, Alexis and all had not spent long spells in the treatment room.
You have to accept that these injury problems do not help, though, so it was a bit of a downer for Arsene Wenger to have to start the season already struggling to cope with a defensive crisis and fitness issues for the likes of Giroud, on top of the long term absence of Danny Welbeck up front.
Now, however, it appears as though there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Gunners and the boss will soon have an almost complete squad of players to choose from. In the latest team news reported on Arsenal.com before the Hull match Wenger revealed that Gabriel is back in training and likely to feature in the EFL cup game at Nottingham Forest.
We already have Walcott back and Aaron Ramsey is close, while the toe injury that kept Giroud out this weekend is only minor and he was at least able to train. So by next week Arsenal could have just two players out of action and even though both Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck will not be fit for a while, has Wenger now got the squad he needs to really kick on?
Bob.