Injuries already threatening to wreck start of season for Arsenal

Arsenal football club is well known for having injury problems amongst their players and this coming season looks no different as we see that already 5 players have picked up injuries and we are yet to play one proper competitive game of football.

Goalkeeper Wojiech Szczseny, defenders Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal, as well as midfielder Alex Oxlade Chamberlain have all sustained injuries already this term and it’s not a promising sight to see, knowing that the professional competitive season is soon approaching and after selling/ loaning/ releasing several players we are actually quite short in squad depth.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Friday’s game, which will be the last of the pre-season tour of Asia, Wenger confirmed the on-going injury issues saying:
“Koscielny is a big doubt. Oxlade-Chamberlain should be alright, Szczesny should be alright as well. I say 80 per cent Chamberlain and Szczesny and maybe 30 per cent for Koscielny. It’s a minor ankle problem.”

Koscielny’s injury is reported to have ruled him out for around one month, although a 30% chance rather than being completely ruled out suggests to me that perhaps the media is exaggerating, but with Vermaelen also injured and Miquel clearly not being up to scratch I think it’s become clear to us that we need to look at investing in another centre back. The Ox seems to be fine, whilst Szczesny shouldn’t be a problem either, however I’m quite concerned over the amount of injuries he suffers as a goalkeeper.

Lastly Wenger spoke of Monreal and the left back issue:
“Monreal has had an injection and it looks like he will miss the start of the season and of course we have lost one left back and that’s a position where we are a bit exposed. Vermaelen can play there, he is injured. Monreal can play there, he is injured. At the moment we only have Kieran Gibbs who can play at left back.”

It’s good that he recognises we are thin on the ground across the defence and although I feel we are lacking in depth for Centre Back as well, I feel that although the injuries will go against me, we have enough competition for the left back position.

Injuries have always been an issue for Arsenal and on some occasions they have cost us games, trophies and sometimes entire seasons, but unfortunately we should now be prepared for it, I mean who’s forgetting we once had arguably the League’s most injured players in Rosicky, Diaby and Van Persie. We should be used to it by now.