Arsenal injury crisis deepens after double blow at Braga
The last seven days have not been great for Arsenal. First the Gunners had the opportunity to go top of the English Premier League; instead they slipped to an embarrassing 3-2 defeat to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspurs in front of their home fans.
Then in midweek, Arsenal had the chance to seal a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League. However, the Gunners suffered their second consecutive loss in the competition, this time against Braga. Now, for the first time in twelve seasons, the
Londoners face the prospect of elimination in the Champions League group stage.
The defeat was even more painful for manager Arsene Wenger because of injuries to two of his key players, captain Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue. Fabregas suffered a hamstring injury, while Eboue is out with knee ligament damage.
Fabregas has been struggling with his hamstring all season, and has had a number of spells on the sidelines. There were some concerns over his fitness before the game against Braga too. However Arsenal’s doctors have confirmed that the injury picked up by
the Spanish international is not linked to his previous problems. Arsene Wenger will be extremely worried about this particular injury, and has said that a cautious approach would be adopted in the future, regarding Fabregas. Although, he could be out for
a long period, Wenger hoped that the player would be back within two weeks.
Eboue suffered a strain in his knee ligament, which means that he will take longer to come back into the team. However, the estimated recovery time is between six to eight weeks, which means that Eboue will be out for the whole of next month. Arsenal’s centre-half,
Thomas Vermaelen, is still out of the squad, which has created problems in defence.
On the other hand, there is some good news for Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey and Manuel Almunia have returned to training after being sidelined for several weeks. Wenger said that the players would be available for the first team, but Ramsey needs match practice
before making a comeback. Ramsey has been sent on loan to Nottingham Forest till 3 January.
Arsene Wenger will have mixed thoughts on the injuries. Although Fabregas forms a vital part of Arsenal’s team, some of his recent performances have not been up to the mark. On the contrary, it seems that Fabregas is the one player holding Arsenal back,
because he is lacking in spirit and enthusiasm this season. The Gunner’s skipper has already challenged his side’s title credentials, and raised questions regarding the winning mentality of Arsenal players. So, despite being a great setback, it might prove
to be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal. However, Wenger will need a player like Jack Wilshere to step up, since Aaron Ramsey is still a few weeks from match fitness.
Both injuries could not have come at a worse time for Arsenal. In the next few weeks, they face a few games, including Manchester United and Chelsea. These teams are known for their physical game, especially Chelsea, and Wenger will miss Eboue in midfield.
The African star provides assistance to his defence, along with some strength in the midfield area. Vermaelen is out as well, and the defence has not been up to the mark without him this season. So, Eboue’s injury would make it tougher for Wenger to get results
from the difficult fixtures ahead.
Nevertheless, the bad times are approaching Emirates Stadium, and Wenger has to deal with his problems in the best way possible. However, Wenger will have to overcome these challenges, if he wants to fulfill the title dream of Arsenal fans. It will be tough
for him, but it is not impossible, because there is a lot of quality present in Arsenal’s squad.
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