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Arsenal: 5 Things That Must Weigh On Arsene Wenger’s Mind
5. Injuries…So many injuries.
Let’s begin with the most obvious, shall we? It can be argued that Arsenal’s greatest enemy is in fact Arsenal. While injuries are of course an unavoidable aspect of athletics, Arsenal seem to constantly be racked with persistent and devastating injuries. Other teams just don’t seem to have this issue.
Arsenal FC
Look at Manchester City. Besides Sergio Aguero, the club seems to be made of iron men. Obviously they have had some issues this season, but the Citizens are often one of the most healthy teams in the league.
Look at Chelsea last year. Diego Costa may have had a spell on the sideline at a few points in the campaign, but the rest of the club was basically fit throughout. This season John Terry and Thibaut Courtois have missed major minutes-and for some reason they didn’t have a decent back up. Odd that. Eden Hazard may have picked up a knock against Leicester, but really I can’t recall even one of their midfield players missing major time last season.
The point I am trying to make is simple. You need health to claim the crown of the English top flight. Injuries have been an ongoing issue for the Gunners. For years. The acquisition of Shad Forsythe was supposed to alleviate this issue, and the American doctor has made an impact. Since Forsythe joined the club in July of 2014, Arsenal have suffered far less injuries. According to the Mirror, Arsenal players only missed a collective 1,834 days to injury in 2014/15 compared to the 2,472 in 2013/14. That is a huge improvement and Forsythe’s impact cannot be denied.
However when reports arise that both Danny Welbeck and Santi Carzola are actually falling behind schedule, Wenger can’t help but feel like Sisyphus.
Before Wenger rides off into the sunset, he has to find a way to quell this constant injury issue. If he departs with these constant injuries still the norm, then the next manager after him will never have a fair chance to establish their own legacy.
Next: 4. Unsettled Squad Players