The fact that Arsenal did not buy a new DM over the summer has dominated the JustArsenal comments for the last few months, and everyone thought that Arsene Wenger was definitely at fault, a view that looked vindicated when we saw Francis Coquelin limping against Chelsea after landing badly on his knee.
Le Coq was substituted at half time and Wenger said after the game: “It is a little knee injury, ”
“I don’t know how long it will be – certainly not for midweek. I don’t know yet how long.”
This is now likely to be just another little bit of gamesmanship on Wenger’s part (as we ALL know for a fact that Coquelin would not be playing against Spurs in the Capitol One Cup even if he was fully fit). I say that because, according to a report in today’s Mirror (where John Cross and Steve Stammers seem to have an inside line to the Emirates news), Cross reckons that there is nothing at all wrong with our top DM.
Cross’ article said: “There was better news for Arsenal on midfielder Francis Coquelin, who extended his knee in the first half of Saturday’s match and was replaced at the interval.
But the injury is not serious and it was in fact a tactical substitution, with the visitors down to 10 men.
It is understood there is no ligament damage and Coquelin could even be fit to face the Gunners arch-rivals Tottenham in a Capital One Cup tie on Wednesday.”
So I think it will be good for Mikel Arteta to get a full 90 minutes (for the first time in a year) against Spurs, we should NOT have to worry that Coquelin won’t be back for next weekend’s game against Leicester….