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Arsenal Injury Situation Has Just Been Grossly Exacerbated
By Josh Sippie
Depth has been Arsenal’s problem this year and here, in this mass of games, we are beginning to see why. With a plethora of matches all piled up together, the injuries are starting to strike the weary legs.
First it was Aaron Ramsey against Bayern Munich. One injury was never going to completely debilitate this Arsenal side. But just as that thought settled, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went down against Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal had to sub in Theo Walcott. It was, of course, a non contact injury.
Just when you thought it was bad enough, Walcott went down as well, holding his calf and looking mighty flustered. It was a non contact injury, the worst kind. When attention arrived, the words being read from his lips involved some words that should not be typed here.
All of this gave plenty of opportunities to youngsters, but it leaves Arsenal in a massive pickle going forward, particularly in the Champions League, where they already faced an uphill battle.
When players are used to having a week between games, expecting them to put in another 90 minute shift just two days later is unrealistic.
Arsenal now find themselves without Ramsey, Walcott and the Ox, that leaves the right side of their formation tremendously understaff. It is going to have to fall to Alex Iwobi, seeing as how Serge Gnabry is wasting away in the West Brom reserves.
Maybe, just maybe, this will show Arsene Wenger that, as good as this team is, they still need that extra guy to cover for situations like this. This team has the quality to win the league. Make no mistake about it. But that does not matter if the quality players are injured. You can never prepare too much for injuries.
If Arsenal could have added an Isco or someone similar in the summer, this could have been avoided. Call me captain hindsight. At the start of the season, the quality at midfield was ridiculous. That quality still exists but apart from Coquelin, Ozil and Cazorla, Arsenal is a mass of injury risks.
Walking the injury tightrope is an ancient tradition at Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. That is not something that you want to be a tradition.
If these injuries come back to be what held Arsenal back from trophies, the outcry is going to be loud and relentless.
January is just around the corner. The team will be a lot healthier by then, which will lead to Wenger probably adding nobody. Let’s hope he has learned.