There is not a lot that Arsene Wenger can do to affect what happens over the next few days to the various Arsenal players currently on international duty. All the Arsenal fans and manager can do is hope that no more Gunners join the lengthy injury list.
Even if we are not struck with more bad luck, Wenger does have a problem as he prepares for Arsenal’s next Premier League fixture, which is away to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The Frenchman has a huge decision to make when picking the team for that game and it looks like a tricky balancing act between risk and reward.
We do not yet know whether Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be in the match day squad and if so whether he will be able to start or just make the bench. Even with him, though, Arsenal have problems in the forward line as both Joel Campbell and Alexis Sanchez will be back late from South America and the Chilean is already in the red zone.
So Wenger has to decide whether to risk them and weigh that against the need to win the game. At least West Brom are in poor form, with just one win from their six home EPL games, so maybe the prof has a bit more leeway. However, there is another big decision for him to make as we play host to Dinamo Zagreb just three days later.
Do we go as strong as possible for that game or hope to win it with a slightly weakened side? JUst how much risk can he take with the Champions League and how much priority does he give the title race?