Arsenal Vs CSKA Moscow: No, Granit Xhaka absence is not good

Arsenal travel to CSKA Moscow on Thursday night without Granit Xhaka in their midst. While I have been extremely critical of the midfielder, this is not a good thing.

I am not the biggest fan of Granit Xhaka. Throughout his first season in north London, I had some sympathy with him. He was stranded a lot of the time in a disjointed midfield. He was still adapting to the vigours of English football. He was roundly written off before he was ever really given a fair chance to prove himself. But I do not make the same contingencies for his second season.

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I defended him for some time because I believed that he could develop. He had many of the natural traits required to succeed as a commanding, controlling central midfielder. He just needed to mature. But that maturing and developing have not yet been witnessed.

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Many other fans have, like me, heavily criticised Xhaka for his performances this season. He is far from the most popular figure in Arsenal circles currently. And he is now set to miss Thursday night’s second leg trip to CSKA Moscow, as confirmed by Arsene Wenger on Wednesday afternoon.

Some may see that as a good thing. This is a player who has been a defensive liability on many occasions, most infamously earlier this season when he allowed Sam Clucas to simply wander past his face, in behind the Arsenal defence, and straight towards the goal, he does not exactly inspire security and stability as the anchorman of the midfield, and he can be caught out of positionally, which is so crucial when defending a relatively comfortable lead.

But Xhaka’s absence is not something to be celebrated. While I have been critical of his displays for some time and I do feel that he has some serious flaws that need addressing, he still adds value to this team, especially when flanked by Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in midfield, as he would have been here.

He plays through the lines excellently with the ball at his feet, he finds his teammates with accurate, piercing passes, he sweeps up loose balls when he is positionally disciplined, which he has been much more so recently, he provides a size and stature in an otherwise lightweight team that can find themselves bullied by bigger and more powerful opponents.

Moreover, his replacement, Mohamed Elneny, while a perfectly capable back-up, does not have the same distribution skills as the Swiss international. He may be a little quicker across the ground and he may be able to provide another engine in central areas, but the drop-off in passing is difficult to overcome.

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There are flaws with Xhaka. That much is unquestionable. But that does not mean that he is not beneficial to this team. Does he need to be replaced this summer? Yes. Absolutely. But, for now, I still wish he was available.