Lucas Perez seems to be cursed with problems since arriving at Arsenal

Arsenal may have got a win on the board for the first time in what seemed like a while last Saturday, but many won’t be expecting a similar outcome from the Gunners match against Bayern Munich. These next few weeks will be coming thick and fast for Arsenal, with the tough test having already kicked off at the weekend.

It is vital that the Gunners have the strongest squad they can available to them, with Wenger surely having to exercise rotation based upon form and fitness. The Gunners’ midfield and defensive options have improved, especially with the returns of Xhaka and Bellerin, whilst our frontline of attack is also looking stronger with the addition of Danny Welbeck. But just when the squad seemed to be getting back to full strength, Wenger has again been dealt a blow on the injury front.

It has been reported that Lucas Perez did not make the journey to Germany for the clash with Bayern Munich, due to a hamstring injury he picked up in training. Lucas has not had much luck lately but seemed to be fine at the end of the match against Hull on Saturday, whilst he also trained earlier in the week. This means that the strain must have happened in a late training exercise in preparation for our champions league fixture.

Lucas’ hamstring injury will come as a blow to both Arsene Wenger and Lucas himself. Lucas has been in and out of the Arsenal squad due to injury, having suffered a few ankle problems earlier in the season. When he has been fit, Lucas still hasn’t really managed to implement his way into the current Arsenal lineup, because despite having quite impressive stats for the amount of minutes he’s played, he still seems to lack the confidence and ability to lead the line from the start as a sole striker. Lucas could of course also play on the wings, a position he regularly plays when he is used as a substitute. However with plenty of competition for places, it seems he isn’t managing to impress the boss quite enough to get himself a first team start.

The news will also be disappointing for Arsene Wenger who would’ve liked to have gone to Bayern Munich with a bench as strong as possible. Arsenal have struggled in the past with attacking options and have often been left with a weak selection of choice on the bench. It means that if the game isn’t going in the Gunners’ favour, Wenger subsequently finds it quite tough to make the changes that could turn the fixture on its head.

Hopefully Lucas’ latest setback doesn’t rule him out for too long, because despite the return of Welbeck and the form of Giroud and Oxlade Chamberlain, Wenger would surely be eager to utilise Lucas when and where he can, which is more than likely to be in the FA Cup tie against Sutton United if he has recovered by then.

By AH