Has this been the longest international break ever or does it just feel that way? Seems like months, but the end is in sight.
Some have kept themselves going with transfer talk. In fact, these days some seem more interested in the transfer talk than in football itself, but each to their own I guess. Some interesting names and some familiar names have been kicked about it the street, but this is thin fare with the window still nearly three months off.
Some old favourites have talked Arsenal and football. Dennis Bergkamp has quickened our with hearts with teasing talk of a second coming – prompting much work time wasted on YouTube nostalgia. Always had a soft spot for Edu too myself, as a key back-up player amongst the Invincibles.
But enough of occupying of minds with such substitutes, the real thing beckons.
The official Arsenal site has a summary of who played how long and scored, but what we really care about is injuries. The only confirmed casualty appears to be Tomas Rosicky with a groin strain. Yossi Benayoun didn’t play in the last Isreal game, but I have seen any report that this was through injury.
So that means that the current sick list is: Sagna, Vermaelen, Diaby, Wilshere and Rosicky. The Arsenal app still lists Koscielny and Djourou as unfit, but I believe that’s out of date as Arsene Wenger has said both are available. Sagna, Vermaelen and Wilshere are still big misses, but this list is shorter than it has been in a while.
I presume that we will see Koscielny back alongside Mertesacker and that Jenkinson will be providing most of the cover for Sagna.
There’s been much discussion of the old ‘back to 4-4-2 debate’ to idle away the break, but I would be surprised if Arsene Wenger goes for it.
So the big issue will be the usual perm two from Arshavin, Gervinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott. More on this tomorrow I suspect as we ease our way towards Sunday lunchtime’s game against Sunderland.
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