We have seen nearly all Arsenal’s defenders being injured at some time or another this season, but it looks like we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and should have most of them back in the next few years.
For tonight’s game we were worried about going without a left-back again, but the Gunners are giving fitness tests to both Monreal and Kolasinac ahead of tomorrow’s game and who ever is the fittest will surely play.
Sokratis came back from the intenationals with a small problem to his right ankle, but although the Lisbon match could be a little early, Emery is fully expecting him to be fit for the Palace game on Sunday.
Even Petr Cech is now back to full fitness, so it will be interesting to see who Emery picks in goal both tomorrow and on sunday. In our JustArsenal poll yesterday a massive 91% of readers voted for Leno to be our number one keeper from now on, so let’s see what Emery thinks…
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has also now returned to full training after being injured very early in the season. Let us hope that he is fit enough to get a run-out in the Europa League to get him back to match fitness.
We all know that Laurent Koscielny has returned to training but we are very unlikely to see him on the teamsheet for at least a month as he builds up his strength again.
One defender I would have liked to see return to the team tomorrow night is Dinos Mavropanos, but his groin injury was worse than expected and he won’t be back for at least a few weeks more, but it looks like we should have enough defenders around to cover for him for now. He is sure to figure in the second half of the Europa League fixtures….
So good news all around, especially on the defensive side…
Admin
Admin what do you mean when say “but it looks like we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and should have most of them back in the next few years.”
Oh Tas, don’t take him too serious He smoked the same thing Wenger smoked at the Emirates when he made the Suarez bid few years ago???
I have been chastised correctly. But I still think it’s funny…
Lol..don’t we all?
?
I don’t call it funny if you are thinking we will have Mustafi around for “years”. I call that a tragedy! Fortunately it won’t happen , now that we have a decent manager in charge. MUSTAFI IS JUST A TEMPORARY STOP GAP LEFT BEHIND BY WENGER and will be out as soon as Emery can get to the next transfer window.
Jon, this”decent manager we have in charge” obviously didn’t take your views on Bellerin, Ozil, Xhaka and Iwobi too seriously, as he has turned these players”left behind by Wenger” into the players AW potentially identified as good enough, but couldn’t get from them what Emery has so effectively done.
All the players”left behind” by Wenger and currently playing in the first team were assessed and found to be of the level Emery is building his team with.
That’s good enough for me and, it seems, most on here, following a great undefeated run.
I really believe we should all show some restraint when castigating our own players, as our personal opinions sometimes come back to haunt us.
I have also great reservations about Mustafi, but if anyone can improve him, then surely we have right man in Emery to do just that.
Give him time Jon, just remember your previous degrading assessments / views on those four players I mentioned above.
exactly….those players that Jon Foxy thinks that are not good enough have improved and play well….
maybe their personal issues or injuries worries have settled….they are way more focus compared to last season
Well said Ken. I could not agree more with you.
At some point I hope you will stop and consider why you wanted Wenger gone.
Wasn’t one of the reasons due to how poor he was at coaching players to defend?
So why do you judge the players as if they was still being coached by Wenger?
I was defending Bellerin hard and it was nice to see you give him some credit for doing well, that may be a blip but if Bellerin keeps improving then can that not be an example of how Emery is doing something Wenger couldn’t?
Iwobi is another example of a player who was becoming stale under Wenger but revitalised under Emery.
Hey Jon, think of it like this, it is another way you can bash Wenger 😉
If Mustafi develops into the WC CB he could be then it is proof that Emery was needed and Wenger had to leave… right?
Good to hear about Maitland-Niles. The boy is versatile and his skills are needed in heavy schedule
Wish all the guys are back and fit again
Wish the very best of luck… Things can only get better..
Nice sentiments mate, onwards and upwards.
I’ve been patiently waiting for AMN to come back… Mavropanos as well. Unlucky he gets injured during half of Europa League matches so far. I’m sure we Emery would’ve given him a run out if he were fit
Things are looking really rosy right now ?
Delighted to hear Monreal is ok, that’s good news. Cech, I’d say he will play the next game, give him a chance to put in the type of performance, which may make the choice difficult, or at least more difficult when going by the poll. Niles, we all want to see him putting in his claim for a starting birth, some would give him the role either way, not me, I’d rather he earned it, like some of our others who seemingly have to do it more regularly than before.
Jenkinson has gone to Lisbon…. when was the last time he played for us????
I think a long time lol
I can’t remember
But I doubt he will play unless there’s emergency
Don’t worry
We have Lichtsteiner. I’m sure he will start
Hopefully, Arsenal’s run of injuries will soon be over and everyone in the squad will be available for selection. Competition for places and competent hungry replacements will be key to Arsenal’s success this season in competing in four competitions.
Sorry to go off topic again but I can’t let former drunk and park bench occupant Paul Merson off after telling everybody that listens to talk sport, and I’m not one of them, that Liverpool are going to tear Arsenal to shreds. He expects us to get hammered at least 3-0. He’s already predicted four or five defeats for us this season and has been wrong on nearly every occasion. Does it surprise you he done all his money gambling. All that help the club gave him after he cried on Sky Sports and admitted to being addicted to booze, cocaine and gambling when the only thing wrong with him was that he’s a bad gambler and this is how he repays us. Not a bad move though, got himself a job on Sky Sports. Laughing his head off now especially at the people who helped him get back on his feet.
The Liverpool game will be that big test that we have all been waiting for. It will put everything into perspective! Joint top with city, 0 games lost and only 3 goals conceded, it will take everything from the boys to get the result. I don’t think we can afford to slack off in the first half and come out all guns blazing in the 2nd. Liverpool are too ruthless to show us that mercy. They will gut us if we flash them half the chances we shower our opponents with in the first half. If Emery delivers the result, then we will truly be back among the big boys and champions league worthy. If we lose this big game at home, then ultimately nothing will have changed. Routinely beat the small teams, then casualy roll over for the big teams..just like the old days with that old manager. I don’t think I will ever forget that Carabao cup final vs Man City, it was the most resigned, pathetic, wimpyiest performance I’ve ever seen. We played better in the 8-2 annahilation at OT.
A lot has changed fella, our former arsenal would have lost a couple (and drawn a couple) of those ten games. so whether we beat livpool or not, we have improved, though still a work in progress.
Hopefully Unai Emery and the Arsenal team will shut Paul Merson up when Liverpool visits the Emirates. Even Phil Neville has tried to be fair in his assessment of Arsenal’s progress.
Similarly Stuart Pearce has been running down Arsenal and we all know what a great judge he is; the man who claimed Dennis Bergkamp would be an expensive flop for Arsenal.
You are wrong…we have improve a lot.In the game it is lost or win or draw and any of this results will not determine our season but will give the manager an idea of his squad quality compared to red… So let focus on sporting before.
Gunners for life ??
Have to agree about the cup final QD, it was embarrassing… I was gutted!
I don’t want to call the Liverpool game, it’s always a high scoring affair…. all I want is for us to give 100% whether we win, lose or draw. Obviously I’d love a win, but we shall see… Emery knows what he’s doing COYG
Remember, its one game at a time, there are two important games before the livpool game, i say we take it one by one. still too early to talk about the game. All the pressure should be on livpool cos we are the underdogs. At least that is what the media thinks, let’s surprise them with some sexy football…
I couldn’t agree with you more gogo
We are a team that is still very much a work in progress but I am loving it.
The chelski game was when I thought things are changing.even though we lost it, was the first time in many a years where I thought we could have won that game and I think the players beleived it as well. Been a bit lucky along the road in a few games but you earn luck from hard work and this season the guys look like they are putting in a shift not just a few of them but all them as a team effort from front man to the back.
I didn’t expect perfection but I did want progression which I think we are getting
Still a heck of a long way to go for us until we claw our way back but I will take what we have right now as we are moving in the right direction
I think a majority of us would have taken this situation if asked at the end of last season.
The run will come to an end at some point but until then I am loving every minute of it.
When we do finally lose which I hope is after we smash our old record of 14 straight wins I know the boys will have the character do pick them self up. Dust them self off and go do it all over again
Onwards and upwards
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???
Yeah
spot on A-Big. I will not be the one mounting pressure on the team and I advice all gunners to to same. Our primary role is to support the team no matter what.
I’m among the few who does not believe we are lucky, we have earned our position. in fact I think we have been a bit unlucky with a few unused opportunities… The Chelsea game a typical example.
Luck follows opportunity and if you take your opportunity well people call you lucky and vice versa. I am with the team whether lose, win or draw cos I can see every single one of them working…
COYG, Victory today…