Arsenal and Laurent Koscielny: Unai Emery must play long game

Laurent Koscielny returned to training over the international break and is nearing first-team action. It is important, however, that Unai Emery plays the long game with the Arsenal centre-half.

Entering the season, Arsenal only had three fit centre-backs. Calum Chambers was loaned out to Fulham, Konstantinos Mavropanos was, and still is, dealing with a mysterious groin problem, and Laurent Koscielny, the club captain, was rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles suffered in the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

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But now, coming out of the third international break of the season, Unai Emery’s centre-back options are set to be bolstered by a rather crucial returnee. Over the international break, Koscielny returned to training and is now nearing first-team action once more.

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Speaking to reporters prior to Sunday’s match against Bournemouth, Unai Emery revealed his plan for Koscielny over the coming weeks as he eases him back into the fold:

"“Our first idea is to start [him playing] with the U23s. But these two weeks [during the international break] in training with us, he is looking well with a good performance, good feeling, and I think today he is close to play with us as well. But maybe Monday he will play with the U23s.”"

It remains to be seen how Emery will handle Koscielny and a rather depleted centre-half group that has dealt with niggling knee injuries to Sokratis, but there is one thing that he must do with managing the Frenchman: play the long game.

There is still a long way to go in this season. There will be much bigger games to come than the ones that have been played up to this point. Even upcoming December tilts against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, the first north London derby of the year, will not be the most important matches of the season.

As Arsenal progress in the Europa League, chase down a top-four place in the Premier League and continue in the EFL Cup and FA Cup, there will be some huge games to come. It is these fixtures that Emery will need Koscielny, not those that come prior to the Christmas schedule.

Thankfully, it seems as though Emery has these concerns in mind. He does not seem rushed, urgently ushering Koscielny back into the team before he is ready. He seems quite happy to take it slow, starting with under-23 matches before gently easing the club captain into the first team. And with Koscielny being out of action for six months, it will take time for him to re-acclimatise with the speed of the game. Rushing him back is the worst thing that Emery could do.

It will be a relief to have Koscielny back in the fold. He is probably still the best defender in the squad, assuming he makes a full recovery. But that does not mean that Emery should rush. There is a long game here, and Emery must play it.