Once the international break concludes Arsenal will face four games in nine days and that will mean that the youngsters and possibly some fringe players will get an opportunity for some game time and that includes Shkodran Mustafi.
The German defender is as solid a fringe player as you can get, the chances of him getting anywhere near the first-team for Premier League matches is very remote, however, that does not necessarily mean that he is a permanent outcast.
These are the first four games for Arsenal when the players return from international duty.
Sun 15th Watford v Arsenal – Premier League
Thu 19th Eintracht Frankfurt v Arsenal – Europa League
Sun 22nd Arsenal v Aston Villa – Premier League
Tue 24th Arsenal v Nottingham Forest – Carabao Cup
We can dismiss the Premier League games, Mustafi has no chance with the Watford and Aston Villa clashes and he is probably unlikely to feature in the Europa League match at Eintracht Frankfurt, though I would not eliminate him from selection for that game entirely.
That leaves Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup and I reckon that Unai Emery will give him an outing in that fixture. This could give the 27-year-old a route back to Premier League contention.
If the senior team continue to mess up in defence, which is very possible and if Mustafi puts in some good performances in the cup games then it is not out of the question that a recall would could happen.
I accept it is unlikely but never say never, not when it comes to Arsenal football club.
Unai Emery hopefully doesn’t take hallucinogenic drugs because he would have had to have done to play Mustafi. Why play players if they are genuinely not good enough? It would called ‘biting your nose to spite your face’. I am still behind Unai Emery but after the team selections lately I’m a little bit more on the fence. Don’t managers learn from their mistakes?
No. No and No.
He’s had plenty of opportunities to prove himself.
Also Xhaka shouldn’t start either
I don’t mind Ozil starting in matches against teams lower than us in the Table. He may play better with Ceballos, Torreira, Pepe, Aubameyang and Lacazette
Well guys B… Xhaka and Mustafi all you haters. They are best Arsenal have. Xhaka
is Captain and this not just only becouse.
Playing for Arsenal you are always bad and
nobody is good enough speciallu if you are
an Albanian. I am so shure all thise Fans qrighting arw not even Arsenal Fans becouse
no good Fan will do this to their Team
Xhaka is Captain in both Arsenal and Switzerland and he came as a Refugee
from Kosovo. Mustafi about a same only
not Captain. Both are very good players
so stop destroying theyr mind with this madnass. They deserve to play thats it
It’s utterly unnecessary to recall Mustafi. Instead, you can even beg Per Metersacker to return lol. A half-fit Mavaparanos or Chambers is prefered to Mustafi whose trade mark is shifting blame and misjudgement of playing rythms
Luiz, Sokratis, Mustafi,three centre backs that a team with top four aspirations would never entertain.
For me, only injury to all before him should see him back in the first team for any game.