Arsenal player returns from a long spell on the sidelines with an injury problem, plays, and picks up another injury problem. It is a story so familiar to Arsenal fans that we have stopped being surprised by it, but for some reason it always seems to take Arsene Wenger completely unaware.
So this is what happened to the unlucky Czech Republic international Tomas Rosicky after the midfield star made his first appearance of the season on Saturday in the FA cup win over Burnley. It is not as if he was overworked either, as the manager only introduced him with 20 minutes left to play and that was after being careful with his recovery and giving him 45 minutes with the under 21s a week before.
The Mirror has reported Wenger saying in his press conference today that he did not know how long Rosicky would be out for but I have seen other reports suggesting six weeks.
The Frenchman said, “The only problem is Rosicky picked up an injury.
“It is a thigh problem. We don’t now how deep the problem is but he will have a scan.”
While this is a blow in itself, with Tomas being one of our best options to cover for Mesut Ozil in the number 10 role, with another Jack Wilshere also in the treatment room for another month or so, I am more worried about our lack of reaction.
The Frenchman seems to be relying on the likes of Welbeck, Wilshere and Cazorla but what is to say they will not also have a setback? Wenger has one final day to bring in a player or two that is definitely fit, not close, not maybe.
So will this latest in a long and predictable list of injury blows make the boss think again and force him to actually use the transfer window like our Premier League rivals?