It’s safe to say we’re yet again in another injury crisis.
Key injuries in our defensive unit has been the point of discussion in recent games, even prior to the one all draw against Fulham on Sunday. Key players were missing even in our win against United but its damaging effects were exacerbated by the subsequent draw to Fulham.
We fielded a completely different backline in both encounters, further disrupting a defense that has been a solid foundation in the last few years. We would have been right to think that it could only get better on that front, but developments ahead of the Monaco game have further dented the mood.
Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey were absent in Tuesday’s training session ahead of the UCL clash, much to the despair of gooners. The pair started at both fullback slots against Fulham, but now it seems we’ll be stretched paper thin at the back in the wake of this news.
It will be all so very frustrating that this sort of crisis has happened to us twice in a very short space of time. Not too long ago, we were faced with a similar challenge but this one is very unique, the injuries are almost exclusively to our defenders and that should be a huge concern.
If the pair of Timber and Partey do miss out on the Monaco game, they will join the long list of players including Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Benjamin White and Oleksandr Zinchenko who we won’t be able call upon.
This will leave us with just three senior defenders at our disposal, sparking a nightmarish scenario for Mikel Arteta.The only bare positive that will be coming from this is a potential chance for Kieran Tierney to show us what he can still do.
He will start against Monaco if the pair don’t make the starting lineup which will mean a first appearance in well over a year for us.
This is not ideal in any way but do any of you think we will keep a clean sheet tonight?
BENJAMIN KENNETH
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Tierney has never let us down.
He has been treated badly.
Arteta mustop using Partey as a QB, he’s the best DM in the league. Tierney should’ve started a number of games where Partey was instead played out of position, further weakening the team. WHY’S TOMIYASU STILL AT ARSENAL?He hasn’t played half a season since he joined, and he’s really not good enough. Just a marketing tool for Asia.
MO:
unfortunate.
But I think in line with you on this.
Especially when Arsenal flunked Suarez for a certain jaguar.
I think a host of others are there for sponsorship and marketing reasons.
Football is business, and business needs spendable resources, and those resources come from certain sources.
Even at that I rate Tomiyasu a better player than Tierney in almost all aspects.
Trading off the two and some others in the nearest window would be delightful to me.
Build a new stadium for Arsenal ladies with the money accrued.
If Tierney doesn’t get in the starting 11 with our current injury problems, Arteta will deserve every bit of stick coming his way.
And I’ll be leading the charge.😣
From experience yes, but for rhythm it might be better to include Skelly. I’m a big fan of Tierney and I think if it weren’t for his injury problems he would have regained his starting position a long time ago. He probably won’t play the entire match anyway, so Skelly should come in anyway, or Heaven.
While his injury record is not very impressive, the fact he’s now fit according to the manager by the way, we can’t be afraid to use him in case he gets injured again.
If that’s the case, then Partey with his injury record wouldn’t get a look in would he.
If they’re in the match day squad, there fit and available for selection, it’s as simple as that.
With all these defenders out, we just have to improvise and that doesn’t guarantee keeping a clean sheet.
We should ensure our attacking play is on point so that we can outscore the opposition.
Greatness is born out of adversity, it would be interesting to see how Arteta solves this problem and how the available players can rescue this difficult situation.
Arteta would rather play his granny than start Tierney at LB.
Many players were overused last season including saka, and Arteta is 50% to be blamed for that. That’s why injuries are piling up. Gabriel played many games last season without a deputy, same with Saliba and Saka. Players are no machines and that’s why there is a bench, but the coach doesn’t believe much in his bench.
Arteta should play Tierney… As usual he will get injured within the next 3 matches max.. so all this noice about not playing him will stop once and for all.
That is what we all fear. Hope you are wrong
Sue,
Every player that plays is a tear, pull, strain, or a kick away from injury.
So, if the manager is going to ignore a player through fear of injury, then there’s a lot of player’s at the club he won’t want to pick when fit will he.
I don’t know what it is with our club, but they seem to have this knack of picking up injury prone players.
You couldn’t make it up really. 🤦♂️
the funny thing is tierney is the best lb at the club
Agree wholeheartedly.
Seconded.
Watch out if we lose though – it will be down to him, Martinelli and Havertz!!!
No it will be down to the manager Ken ,which as always been the case .
Not according to some on here and, in this instance, I agree with them.
The defensive injuries are reaching catastrophic levels, so MA has a bare cupboard to chose from.
Only if he ignores Partey, switches Partey to RB and Timber to LB would I blame him.
By the way, did you read the report HD gave in my referee article?
Can I see your head coming out of the sand? 😭😭
Loved your devil’s dandruff description by the way and I still haven’t fathomed out what the a in lols meant – keep educating me 🤔
Ignores Tierney!!
Ken1945,
Don’t you mean S.😉👍
What is the evidence that he is the best LB at Arsenal?
Saka is a better LB and he’s our best offensive player by a mile ,which says a lot .
Even when fit Tierney is an average LB IMO .
The performances of Zinchenko, Califiori and Tomiyasu… plus the injuries these three have had!!
One can’t keep saying Tierney is injury prone, yet ignore the games missed by the three musketeers I’ve mentioned above…. oh by the way, I don’t blame Mikel for any of their injuries, just in case…….
So, no evidence, except availability.