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Arsenal relies heavily on the sturdy defensive abilities of Laurent Koscielny. So fitness is always a concern, but that’s about it.
One of the major ways that Arsenal has improved over last season is defensively. Laurent Koscielny finally has a partner that allows him to utilize his full range of attributes. However, no matter how impressive that partner, Shkodran Mustafi, is, Koscielnyis still the Boss.
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He is the anchor at the back and the most reliable defender in all of England. He may have just turned 31, but Koscielny may have been more serious then we gave him credit for when he said he was getting better with age.
Still, Arsene Wenger has expressed his concerns. The Frenchman was called away to international duty and Le Prof was adamant that Boscielny not play for France, given how the games were completely inconsequential.
Wenger indicated that he would never intervene for a competitive international match, but when there is nothing to be gained, there is everything to be lost.
Fitness is always a concern with Laurent Koscielny. Even with Mustafi and Holding and Gabriel, we still rank the Frenchman as our No. 1 defender and as such, a lot is expected of him and a lot is delivered. As our captain, that is magnified even more so.
However, as far as fitness goes, that is all we have to worry about with Koscielny. There wasa bit of a scare (I was terrified) early in the year because according to numerous sources, Koscielny’s contract was set to run up in 2017. It was in 2014 that he signed a three year deal, after all.
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Clarification quickly came in that that three year deal he signed was actually a three year extension. Meaning that we can bask in the majesty that is Laurent Koscielny until the year 2019, when he will be 34 years old.
A 34 year old Koscielny is nothing to scoff at. He is an athletic specimen and defenders typically last longer than their attacking brethren.
Not much else needs to be said about Koscielny. With all the hubbub and rumors surrounding just about every other Arsenal man, sometimes it’s nice to highlight the ones that bring no stress to the table. And Koscielny is one of them.
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