We will have to wait and see exactly which of the current Arsenal playing staff are going to be called up by their respective national managers for the international break after this weekend’s Premier League matches, but there are usually a fair few Gunners involved.
Although the injury situation at the club is not too bad at the minute, we really could do without any more Arsenal stars picking up knocks while playing for their countries. There is not that much that we can do to affect what happens but sometimes Arsene Wenger’s relationship with the manager of a national team can help.
It can also hurt and the fact that the new England manager Sam Allardyce and Wenger have a slightly spiky history means that we are unlikely to get any concessions with the use of players like Theo Walcott and the Ox, or at least that was the case.
Perhaps in future Wenger will feel more able to ask the England boss to go easy with the Arsenal players in his team after the Frenchman was one of the few to offer his support to Allardyce in the light of the allegations plastered all over the media today, as reported by the BBC.
Wenger said of his old rival, “You have to let Sam Allardyce defend himself and I just hope he will clear his name.”
Big Sam is apparently in talks with the FA today and he could lose his job, but if he doesn’t, will Wenger’s words of support help Arsenal when it comes to keeping our England internationals fit and fresh?
Bob.