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.