Arsenal: Henrikh Mkhitaryan on bench still a game-changer

Arsene Wenger has suggested that Henrikh Mkhitaryan may be able to make a return as early as Thursday night’s first leg against Atletico Madrid. Even if he can only make the bench, it would be a game-changer for this Arsenal team.

When it comes to the big games in the season, it is always nice to have your best players available. It is why Aaron Ramsey was rushed back, for instance, for the Carabao Cup final earlier this season. That was, according to Arsene Wenger, and few disagree with him, a game that he desperately wanted his best players available for.

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Unfortunately, on that occasions, it backfired for Arsenal. Nevertheless, that does not negate the importance of having those key contributors available for those biggest games. And few, for the Gunners, come bigger than their upcoming, double-legged semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid.

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So the news that Henrikh Mkhitaryan might be available for the first leg, and very possibly the second leg, is huge for the whole make-up of the tie. When asked about the Armenian’s return from injury, an injury that was at one point feared detrimental enough to keep him out of the picture until the end of the season, Wenger suggested that he has a small chance of making it back for the first leg against Atletico in just a week’s time:

"“Of course Mkhitaryan is not back yet <…> Mkhitaryan is running again. He has to progress in the next three or four days to see how much intensity he can have in his training sessions. Possibly Thursday is the earliest I think.”"

It would be extremely surprising if Mkhitaryan was able to worm his way back into the starting line-up by that time. The injury, from the way that Wenger is speaking, seems too long-lasting. But even if Mkhitaryan is only able to make the bench, he can still be a game-changer for the Gunners.

The opening few games of his north London career have been somewhat inconsistent. Goals have come at times, his defensive actions have been aplenty, but also performances of real disparity and abjectness have come. Nevertheless, he is a player capable of the extraordinary, especially when it matters most.

Mkhitaryan was Arsenal’s primary threat against AC Milan in the crucial first leg in Italy, scoring the first goal and proving a thorn in Gennaro Gatusso’s side for much of the game, finding intelligent positions on the counter-attack to open up the usually stubborn and stifling Milan defence.

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It is that momentary cutting-edge quality that Mkhitaryan offers that makes him unique in the Arsenal squad. And that is why his availability for Thursday’s match could be so crucial. Even if he can only play a matter of second-half minutes, he could still be the game-changer that is required. This is welcome news indeed.