Arsenal are preparing to take on the Group outsiders Ludogorets at the Emirates tomorrow night. I am fully expecting Arsene Wenger to give some of our top stars a rest but he has one big dilemma in who to play out of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin.
Coquelin has announced that he is fit and ready to rejoin the squad after recovering quickly from his injury sustained against West Brom. He also admitted he was worried that it was even more serious. “When you make these kinds of tackles, and this happened before against West Brom [last season], you are a bit scared,” he said. “It was a similar tackle to then.
“The good thing was that I could run back on to the pitch afterwards, even if I couldn’t stay on for long. The scan which followed was all positive so that was great news.
“It took me a few weeks to get back to full fitness, but now I feel good.”
So it may be a good idea for Coquelin to play tomorrow to get some match fitness before our League campaign restarts at the weekend, but Wenger could consider using Xhaka instead as he now banned from playing on Saturday after getting sent off against Swansea.
What would you do if you were Arsene?
Admin
This one is too easy.
Xhaka won’t be able to play in league games for a while – Coq must do it. Thus Xhaka should be used in the CL match to allow Coq to be rested and ready for the weekend.
But surely Le Coq needs some match practise (in an easy game) to get upto speed?
Okay a half each?
Easy game? Like Zagreb and Olympiacos last season? No room for complacency!
Xhaka should start for aforementioned reasons, Coquelin can come on for 15 minutes or so!
We should make 3-4 changes at max in addition to Ospina starting.
Would like to see Gibbs, Holding, OX and Perez possibly start or at least feature.
But Xhaka has been sent off in 2 of his last4 games. Isn’t that a risk?
I have no problem with Coquelin getting match fitness, but I think Wenger knows the physical and mental conditions of players and can decide better than us. Players need better match fitness when they are out for a long period pf time say atleast 2 months. I guess 3 weeks isn’t much of a concern. Xhaka to start, and if we get an early lead replace him with Coquelin to shut the game out (maybe @ 65 min. mark).
BTW:
Sad to see Ozil with his new buddy Justin Bieber. In case you missed it………. Bieber is not just a complete @ssh*le. He is also as stupid as the come – that is not a vague insult – he really is a moron.
They probably aren’t buddies, just a famous person whom he changed pictures (and shirts) with.
Özil is well known for everyone who follow football, but Bieber is known to pretty much everyone in the world.
Surely Le Coq will be playing. Or else why would Wenger have taken him to the pre match conference?
Play Coquelin first then put Xhaka on for second half.
If Xhaka plays first he might get sent off!
Play Xhaka tomorrow and FACup
Play Coquelin against middlesboro
Xhaka needs to bounce back quickly
In confidence
play both.. them move Cazorla forward.
Xhaka of course
What do we do with our lives if Coquelin is played and he gets injured?
if Coq gets injured (he wont) we still have Elneny for the DM role. #depth
Please admin,le coq sustained the injury against chelsea and not west brom,west brom own happened last season around January or so. Wenger should start Xhaka to boost his confidence then give Le coq 25mins max.