Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid: Henrikh Mkhitaryan question needs answering

Arsenal will be without Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the first leg at the very least, and in the process of that first leg, some answers need to be established.

I rather optimistically hypothesized that Arsenal would be just fine without Henrikh Mkhitaryan, so long as nothing else came back to bite them in the arse. After all, being delusional is part of the draw of loving a club like this.

Gradually, I’m feeling my resolve bend and potentially break regarding the Armenian and the club’s need for him. There was talk he may have been able to return to the squad ahead of the first leg against Atletico Madrid, but that is proving to be false, as he has yet to return to training.

This first leg, therefore, will be without the engine that Mkhitaryan is, and given the nature of the opponent, the Gunners will be facing a clear test regarding just how much that absence is going to effect them going forward.

By the time the final whistle blows, I hope we can answer the question of just how important it is that Mkhitaryan be potentially rushed back for the second leg. If he is healing as quickly as it seems, then even the potential of having him on the bench, given an inconclusive first leg, is a game-changer.

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Normally it would not even be considered, but given the pertinence of winning this competition, it has to not only be considered, but strongly mulled over.

Mesut Ozil is only now returning from another mystery illness, which, given the short time he has between that return (yesterday) and the actual match, I’m more than a bit hesitant that he will need a bit of help unlocking perhaps the best defense in Europe.

And who will he look to? Jack Wilshere. Aaron Ramsey. Granit Xhaka. Guys that are capable of being that potential crutch, but guys that also serve in different capacities than Mkhitaryan. Wilshere is probably the closest thing to a potential fill in, but even then, he has been exceptionally average these past few months.

In an ideal situation, we see an Arsenal club come out and dominate possession, show incisive play and score a goal or three thanks to sustained pressure and we don’t need to worry about Mkhitaryan.

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Given how short his stay at the Emirates has been thus far, it’s tough to say just how much we will miss him in such a crucial match, with the potential range spanning anywhere from ‘not at all’ to ‘dear God, we need him yesterday.’

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