Cazorla back but which midfield options will start at Man Utd?

Arsenal fans may be getting worried that our usual bad luck with injury problems is coming back and is going to ruin yet another Premier League title challenge. It is certainly not a good thing that the sports injury website physioroom.com shows that the Gunners have more players in the treatment room than all of our main EPL rivals but I do not think our situation is that bad, especially if the news about Alexis Sanchez being alright to face Man United on Saturday proves to be right.

Another Arsenal star included in the list of crocked players, which you can see anytime on the special Just Arsenal injury page, is our sublime Spanish midfield maestro Santi Cazorla but as far as I can tell he should be back in action. The little Spaniard has not played since picking up an Achilles problem in the thumping Champions League win over Ludogorets but ahead of our last match against Tottenham the manager suggested he was touch and go to be available.

So I have to assume that the two weeks in bertween those games will be enough for Cazorla to be fit again. The question now is, will Wenger put him straight back in the starting line up for the visit to Old Trafford. Normally with a player of Cazorla’s quality that would not be a question but the fact is the central midfield is the strongest part of the Arsenal squad and Wenger has lots of options and all of them have finished their international duties this week.

We have Coquelin, Xhaka and Elneny all able to play the deeper lying role and the latter two can fill the box-to-box position as well but then we have the fit again Aaron Ramsey as well as Santi. It is nice to have such strength in depth, of course, but who is going to miss out against United?

Bob.

Tags Elneny Ramsey Xhaka

14 Comments

  1. its a must to have Cazorla back to starting 11,
    4-4-2will be an ideal formation.
    Cazorla,Coq,Xhaka,Ramsey
    Ozil ,teo

  2. If cazorla is fit then he must play, simple. Our team plays so much better when he is there. Hopefull our lineup will be:
    Cech
    Jenko bostafi monreal
    Le coq caz
    Walcott ozil iwobi
    Sanchez

  3. Man u Vs Arsenal my Starting 11,
    Cech
    Mustafi- holding-kos-monreal
    Coq-Cazorla-Xhaka-Rambo
    Ozil–Teo(Alexis)

    if u tamp down please explain why.!

    1. 1. Breaking the Kostafi partnership is risky and unnecessary, could easily backfire
      2. Playing Coquelin on the wing makes him ineffective and he is really just not a winger
      3. Rambo can play on the wing, but he is just not nearly as good there. Ramsey needs to be fighting for a starting spot against cazorla/ozil even (I don’t think he deserves a starting spot at all right now). He is also just back from injury so shouldn’t be rushed.
      4. Although Ozil has been scoring we can’t just push him up to striker, he works better in a number 10 position playing behind Alexis – he is most effective here
      5. Theo should be a certain starter, and although Iwobi’s form has dropped, he should still be playing.

      Assuming Alexis and Cazorla fit to play, the formation should be very similar to our previous games, minus Bellerin:

      Cech
      Jenkinson Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
      Coquelin Cazorla
      Walcott Ozil Iwobi
      Alexis

      This team is oozing with quality – IMO the Utd game is a walkover for us, the only issue is the psychological side i.e. Mourinho’s mind games and our historical inability to beat Utd

  4. We cazorla to start against United… we already missing Bellerin whose absence creates a huge gap.
    we need all the best players in the remaining positions.
    playing United at OldTrafford is hard enough for Arsenal (forget their form) with Mou is even harder and without Bellerin way harder. cnt afford to ‘rest’ Cazorla if he is fit.

  5. Cech
    Mustafi Gabriel Kos Monreal/Gibbs
    Le Coq Cazorla
    Ozil
    Theo Iwobi/Ox
    Alexis

    If it is too early for Cazorla to start I would play Ramsey

  6. was thinking, why not play Gabriel in RB instead of Jenkinson that looks like a calamity waiting to happen

  7. We know utd are going to try similar in what spu did, they’re going to play big physical ball winners and try to win every fifty fifty. At che he’d basically go with three defensive mids with one or two of them having box to box duties. If Cazorla only has a glimmer of space to play in well then we need him. It’s a difficult one, we play our best football with Cazorla, but at the same time there is a reason for this mourinho hoodoo. In the past we didn’t have the height, strength, or quality in some areas. I just wish Xhaka would bed in quicker, not that he’s bad, it’s that there’s allot more to come.

  8. Mou will park that bus so deep we won’t be able to see the goal posts. This guy is the most negative manager I’ve ever seen and the most stubborn but he will do whatever it takes to suffocate us because the LAST thing his diminishing confidence can take is a loss to none other than his arch enemy Mr. Wenger.

    I think if we beat them this will be the end of Mourinho, he won’t recover from this that’s for sure.

  9. regardless of what we have said
    Man u will beat Arsenal no matter who we play.
    its Mou and Man u guys .
    I’m not trying to be Negative. but truth be told thy know how to Beat us.
    i just hope its not another 8-2

  10. My starting XI will look like this
    Holding – Kos – mustafi – Monreal
    Coq – carzola/xhaka
    Walcott- ozil – Ramsey
    Sanchez

    In the absence of Bellerin, which I believe he will be fit before Saturday

  11. Its surprising how we all realise the importance of cazorla in the team and still yet to have a replacement if his contracts runs out,I don’t understand why he hasn’t been offered a new one. He maybe available for the United game,if we don’t have creativity in that Midfield,we ill end up having a draw.

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