Arsene Wenger has opened up about Alexandre Lacazette’s sudden injury and has handed the Arsenal man a get out of jail free card in the process.
It’s always rather shocking when a knee surgery happens after no previous reports of an injury. Only at Arsenal, right? Thankfully though, we didn’t have to speculate long. Arsene Wenger came out to speak (via beIN Sports) about the injury and was very clear about it.
Apparently Lacazette picked up this injury during the Tottenham match and their was swelling and they had to do a quick operation to fix the problem. This throws aside the concerns that this was an injury that had been known about back in January, which would have been a major egg on the face moment.
But Wenger did not stop there. He said at the tail end of his interview that maybe this was why Lacazette hadn’t been able to score as much.
Related Story: 4 Players Who Just Weren't Up For The North London Derby
This, in a nutshell, is why I love Arsene Wenger. Lacazette has not been in fine fettle recently, he’s looked a sad puppy and he just hasn’t had much going right for him. Some fans turned on the Frenchman already and still others think that he may be pushing for an exit.
More from Pain in the Arsenal
- 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
- 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
- Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
- 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
- Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win
But Wenger? Wenger has come to Lacazette’s defense and given him something truly special – he’s given him an excuse.
Now Lacazette can come back with a fresh slate. If he starts back up after the injury and looks confident, pumping in the goals from the offset, then guess what? It was all the knee, the boss was right. “I’ve just been struggling to fight through the pain.”
I don’t care if it’s true or not, convince yourself that it is, then convince us all that it is too. This is a superb opportunity to get his North London career back on track without having to face the demons of whatever was happening during his Winter non-break.
Wenger did a similar thing when he flew to the defenses of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when the Gabonese forward had his character put to the question.
Check out the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast!
Again, this is what makes Wenger special. He will always give his players the benefit of the doubt and he will always give them a chance to brush over the sins of their past and push through the hard times.
Next: 5 Things Learned Against Tottenham
Unless your name is Wojciech Szczesny, in which case, get the hell out of town, you chimney.