Arsenal Vs Sheffield United: What’s the rush with Alexandre Lacazette?

Alexandre Lacazette is reportedly winning his fight to be fit for Arsenal’s trip to Sheffield United on Monday night. But what is the rush with the centre-forward?

Last month, Arsenal centre-forward Alexandre Lacazette was struggling. He looked short on that crucial step of speed when he exploded in and out of cuts, with and without the ball, his touch was oddly off, especially in the first half of the North London Derby, and goals were not all that free-flowing. But then came the kicker: he was playing through an injury.

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It was later that week, after the 2-2- draw with Spurs, that the Gunners released a statement confirming the problem that Lacazette had been dealing with. In a statement, the club revealed:

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"“After assessments to an ongoing ankle issue, we have advised that Alex will need to rest and strengthen his ankle to regain full fitness. Alex has been playing through this injury for several weeks. He is likely to be back in action in October.”"

Well, we are now in mid-October and it is presumed that Lacazette is close to returning to action. The Frenchman partook in first-team training shortly before the international break and has been in and around the gym for a couple of weeks now, per his and other players’ social media posts. It has been reported this week that Lacazette is presently winning his fitness battle for Monday night’s trip to Sheffield United and it is hoped that he could feature, potentially even from the start.

For Lacazette and Arsenal, then, his recovery from an ankle problem is very much trending in the right direction.

However, while all this is positive news and it will be extremely helpful to welcome Lacazette back into the fold, for the most immediate fixture, a trip to Bramall Lane against a beatable Sheffield United, why is there a rush?

This is meant as no disrespect to United. They are a capable team who beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. Especially on the road, Arsenal should not be taking them lightly. But is there a need to thrust Lacazette back into the starting line-up when there are perfectly capable options already available?

Yes, keep him on the bench as a late-game option to introduce, especially if the Gunners are chasing a goal. But there is no need to rush the process and risk further injury to the ankle. We have seen plenty of times before what happens when players are rushed back from injuries, even smaller ones. They can linger.

Lacazette is crucial to Arsenal’s season. A win at United is important, yes, but having Lacazette fit and firing for the majority of the year is more important. For that reason, rushing him back seems somewhat ill-advised.