Arsenal are known for their injury problems and with their list of injuries growing at present, there could be cause for concern.
Lucas Perez is the latest name to join the absentee list, having picked up an ankle injury this week, and is now the fourth squad member to become unavailable until December at the earliest, while the ever-important Santi Cazorla is also doubtful for the Sunderland tie this weekend.
Danny Welbeck, Chuba Akpom and Per Mertesacker are of course the others hampered with injuries, although the latter is less important with both Rob Holding and Shkodran Mustafi having been signed to cover his long-term issues during the summer.
Granit Xhaka will also be unavailable on Saturday which leaves us rather short in central midfield, as well as in attack, so should we be worried?
Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny came into the fold the last weekend against Middlesbrough, and we didn’t create enough clear-cut opportunities, while our opponents refused to allow us as much possession as we would have likes, and could well have stolen all the points. Aaron Ramsey is expected to return to action this week, and could well be used in the deeper role as a creative spark much like Cazorla is.
Our attacking worries are somewhat of a worry for me also, with Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez regularly picking up niggles and injuries in recent years. Olivier Giroud is our only alternative for the role from our first-team, but he has been limited to under an hour of league action so far this term due to fitness/injury problems also.
Is now the time to start praying to the football gods for some give on the injury front? Should we be more worried about out midfield or attacking options?
Pat J