It is a little bit of a blow for the Arsenal and Nigeria international star Alex Iwobi that Arsene Wenger has made a U-turn on the decision not to stand in the way of the 20-year old going to the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro next month to represent his country, but these things happen.
If Iwobi goes on to realise his potential there will be many more chances for him on the international stage and he must surely realise that his club comes first at times like this. The fact that the Olympics is not a FIFA accredited tournament means that the Frenchman is well within his rights to stop his players going, as the Evening Standard reports he has done.
The reason for this must surely be the timing of it all, with Iwobi almost certain to miss at least the opening Premier League game against Liverpool if he went. And perhaps the reason for the change of heart on Wenger’s part is the fact that key players like Ramsey, Ozil, Giroud and Koscielny might not be match fit after their Euro 2016 exertions.
There is still some concern about the ankle of Alexis Sanchez as well so the boss clearly feels that the young Nigerian international is one of the players he is most likely to turn to and that can only be good news for the player and his future as a Gunner.
Bob.