Signs that the season is about to start: Arsenal have 8 players out injured
With just 18 days until Arsenal face Liverpool at Anfield the Gunners have the following first team players out either injured or lacking fitness: Bendtner, Denilson, Diaby, Djourou, Fabregas, Ramsey, Rosicky, and Robin van Persie. Ahh, the joys of a new season; the smell of freshly watered grass, the sound of a foot kicking a ball, the cries of “oi boss! I pulled something!…”
In his post match interview yesterday, Wenger revealed that Bendtner has a recurrence of his groin injury and will not be available for the first game of the season. At the same time Wenger also named Fabregas and van Persie as possibly being short for that game as well. Whether they play in the season kickoff is both down to their mental condition after the World Cup and “will depend on the fitness work they have done during the holiday.” Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsey is still recovering from Ryan Shawcross’ leg breaking tackle and will have some time before he regains match fitness.
Worryingly, Djourou limped off against Neusiedl yesterday and Rosicky was scheduled to start but was a last minute substitution. Arsene dismissed both as minor injuries saying Djourou picked up a “small” hamstring and Rosicky having a “small, small alert” with his groin. And finally, the dot com revealed that Denilson and Diaby have “recovered” from their injuries though they won’t be available for selection until August 7th at best.
Last season, I argued that the reason Arsenal are so hit with injuries every year was a combination of training, the physical demands of the Premier League, the fact that our young players can’t skip out on international friendlies the way Chelsea players do, and the manner in which we play. I’m still of the mind that those four things are what make our players more prone to injury but I’m going to add another: Arsenal buys brittle players.
There’s no doubt that Arsenal’s style of possession football is physically demanding both during the games and in training. It’s so demanding that Arsenal have introduced a GPS tracking system which will not only measure the distance a player has covered but, after enough data is collected, will supposedly be able to predict injuries based on the player’s footfall. If Arshavin is running on his toes, he’s healthy. If he’s running too much on the balls of his feet, he’s in danger. You might have noticed this tracking system in our pre-season friendlies, it’s that square box that all the players are wearing on their backs.
There’s also no doubt that the leg breaking tackles and notion that “Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em” similarly contribute to our injury record: Eduardo never fully recovered from Martin Taylor’s tackle, Ramsey is still out recovering from Ryan Shawcross’ tackle, Diaby has taken several years to recover from Dan Smith’s brutal tackle, Gibbs is back playing but I expect he will have the same problems as the others during his recovery from Mangala’s horrific foul, Robin van Persie seemed to make a full recovery after Chiellini broke his foot but then his play in the World Cup was slightly off, and it took two thugs in Big Ears Puyols and Craig Gardner to break Cesc’s leg which probably limited his action in the World Cup and will undoubtedly have some effect on his season ahead.
Those two things are a given but how then do I explain Denilson’s injury? Denilson picked up a groin injury back in April and has been out for over 3 months. He didn’t play for Brazil in the World Cup and Arsenal haven’t been training so why isn’t he raring to go? Rosicky was never brutally injured by the Dan Smiths of the Premier League so how do we explain his years of injury problems? Bendtner has had plenty of time to recover though I suspect that he rushed back from his injury to play in Denmark’s failed World Cup campaign. And I almost feel like it’s unfair to pick on Djourou for picking up a hamstring pull because after spending so much time on the bench it’s easy to pick up little injuries.
There are plenty of others in there as well, people who aren’t currently on the injured list but who perennially suffer a pulled this or a strained that: Clichy (back), Theo (back and shoulder), Arshavin (pulled lazy bone), Almunia (Almuniosis) and so on. So, how can I explain that?
Maybe they are just brittle? What do you think?
Comments
I think that once we buy a player, we should replace his bones with adamantium. There doesn’t seem to be any other way.
@nycgunner,
haha, i like that idea
@Chief Gooner, With retractable claws to match. That way they can actually go toe-to-toe with their genteel English counterparts in the PL.
This must have been the worst off-season, and the least anticipated season debut that I can remember (At least for me). I don’t feel that the team is actually better positionned to compete compared to last season. I feel we are a few steps behind where we were last season…
So many potential likeanewsignings!
Oh please. How dramatical. To include RvP and CF in your list is just ridiculous. I normaly enjoy your blog but please don’t go the route of the tabloids.
@Gary, They will not be available for the game against Liverpool, how is that NOT injured?
@Tim,
to be fair AW only said that they could be short, he did not say out. the post is a tad drematic. however i do agree we get alot of injuries, ir ekon it cos we have alot of young lads who do tend to get injured as they develop, and have been really unlucky, in the case of rosicky.
there is no excuse for other teams thuggery, i dont like to wish anything on anyone as i have had my leg broken before, however the fa will do something when it happens to rooney, or someone similar
@ciaran, it’s not supposed to be dramatic, it’s supposed to be funny as in:
“You can tell the season’s started because Arsenal already have 8 first team players out!”
And then I ask a serious question at the end which no one read because it seems like no one bothered reading the Far
@Tim,
Until they get injured, no one can be sure a player is brittle, right? So it is impossible that AW can spot the brittle-ness of players and buy them.
It is just another Arsenal mystery, right?
Well, let’s settle with Occam’s razor: We have brittle players. Which is only logical. I mean, if you want a team of technically gifted players, usually they come with a fragile hardware. Thugs and brutes (brits?) on the other hand…
So, once that fact has been stablished, what? install little boxes on the player’s backs and compile data for how long? Im ranting now, but all the Arsenal staff should be doing a little more, me thinks.
I’m with you T town. Unbelievable with 17 days to go until Liverpool we have 8 players injured and still haven’t re enforced positions that needed strenghening last season. I feel Wenger has become a liabilty and I dont care what the followers of Wenger boringly say. The club has money, makes profits, has a stadium debt thats servicable and we’ve been continually told that there is money if the manager wants it. Meanwhile we have 2 clowns posing as Goal keepers and CB’s that, TV apart, are inexperienced or injury prone. For a team of our so called high ranking thats a farce. Wenger should just go and go now.
I give up trying to understand these injuries at Arsenal. Rosicky was suppose to be cured of his hip bone connected to his knee bone connected to his groin problem as arrogantly explained some German medics if I recall correctly. Henry had groin and back issues that Barcelona arrogantly explained they fixed. Gallas went months before they could even figure out what the problem was with his thigh. Hell if Barcelona weren’t in so much debt, and could actually pay us what we think Fabregas is worth, he’d fail his medical
First the internet and now GPS. Technology is the new ‘god’. GPS is just grand unless your the CNET writer who froze to death with his family because he relied on the GPS or the elderly couple who got directed to drive into a lake. Then there is the case of HAL in 2001 Space Odyssey. Technology can’t replace clinical acumen and judgment which are lacking at Arsenal. Why else would their physios have to come out with that extraordinary statement a while back defending themselves. The only people attacking them from what I saw were the blogs. The British media certainly didn’t care a wit about Arsenal’s infinite injuries. The more the merrier they would say.
Why refer to the Eduardo, Ramsay and Diaby incidents as tackles? They weren’t tackles they were assaults, possibly attributable to the media inspired notion that the way to stop us to ‘put a foot in’. That’s interpreted as put a foot into the player – not the ball.
so you lied with your headline, not all 8 are injured. you are as bad as a tabloid hack.
fab and vp slow return was known and being managed. Chamack covers for Bendtner. Djourou is just coming back from 12 month injury and pulls can be expected-we are looking to buy another CB. Denilson is injured-so what? and if he is out so long whats to explain. What is the matter with you. Rosicky could have played the other day but Wenger held him back as a precaution. NONE of the actual injured are irreplaceable first name first teamers. grow up and write something sensible or join The Sun
@silent stan,
Fabregas and RvP are absolutely questionable for the game against Liverpool, if that’s not injured then what is? If they are out for the first month of the season “regaining fitness” will you still be claiming them as not injured?
Which of the other players you are claiming are “not injured” are 100% healthy? Arsenal have 8 players out, there is no lie in saying that.
Chamakh, Arshavin, Eboue, Nasri, Song, Wilshere, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Clichy and Fabianski as the starting lineup against Liverpool away doesn’t worry you at all?
Yes. That lineup is mid-table, realistically.
Nor can you dribble, pass, or uh… shave.
@T-Town, well, the passing part isn’t true but then you wouldn’t notice, because all you do is dribble and if you don’t have the ball, stand around waiting for someone to get you the ball so that you can dribble some more.
For someone so focused on detail, you sure can’t punctuate, capitalize, or spell to save your life, Silent Stan.
@Tim, Truth be told, I kind of like that line up, minus fabianski.
@Yan, I don’t want our team going into the first game of the season missing our 2 all-star players.
@Tim, Neither do I. But being 1st match and all that, Im sure Liverpool wont be a football machine either.
@Yan, True.
Have always maintained that our biggest loss in recent years was not Vieira, Flamini or Henry but Gary Lewin.
@Larry, So true. He must have some free time on his hands now and could ‘moonlight’ for us.
Off topic but apropos: Since Wenger is being such a meanie to Sandro Rosell and won’t return his calls, Barcelona are now going to plan B to ‘shore’ up the holding midfield fort until Cesc arrives. We should just let Cesc go to Barcelona because it would be the charitbale thing to do for a Barcelona team down on their luck and begging for 35 yo scraps.
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6283584,00.html
@ctpa, You’ve got to give it to mancity. Barca had to sell Yaya to raise cash, City could have easily played hardball and gotten Yaya for cheap but instead they play twice his worth. Such dumbasses!!
You don’t have to negotiate when you’ve got limitless money. This Mansour family has an unfathomable amount of money.
You guys will all hate me for saying this, but I just happened to look at Man City’s roster… looked very scary. And their coach isn’t exactly an idiot either.
When the Chelsea player strip off their shirts they are buff MEN. When our guys strip off their shirts they are skinny BOYS. Honestly.
The world of soccer conditioning has come so far in the past 15 years, and I don’t think Arsenal have kept apace. Weight lifting, including !horrors! using Olympic lifts like the clean and press, squats, deadlifts etc should now be standard fare for these guys. All of our players could stand to add another 5-10 lbs of quality muscle to their frames.
Instead I see pics of Arsenal training with medicine balls, Swiss balls and wobble boards. Yawn. That’s equipment used in aerobics classes for Christ’s sake.
I’m all for core work too, but honestly, the boys need to suit up for war, get stronger and then we’ll see that the injuries come less often, and are less severe.
Personally, I say this as a guy who was a skinny (6’2″, 150lbs) 16 year old, had my first knee surgery, was told to lift weights to recover and went from good player to provincial player in the course of a year – all due to added muscle.
@Brahmabull, I believe our players do lift weights during the off season. I think the issue is that we generally buy smaller, more technical players. We simply need a couple of big, physical players to balance the team.
If you’re telling me RVP, Clichy, Arshavin et al are lifting weights, then I’m calling for the Arsenal training staff to be fired, en masse. My wrists are bigger around than RVP’s pipes…
And the new guys? I’d be pouring protein shakes down Chamakh’s throat every hour, on the hour. Hulk Hogan these guys are not.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not calling for us to field a team of linebackers, just let’s add about 150-200lbs of muscle to the team overall.
As far as buying a few more bigger players to balance, that isn’t the issue per se – I don’t think having more bigger players prevents the smaller guys from getting hurt (unless we’re going the way of hockey). Small and technical doesn’t have to = fragile and weak.
@Brahmabull, How many injuries has Christiano Ronaldo suffered?
He’s fuçking ripped.
@Tim, Cron spent a big chunk of the season in the Madrid injury room last year. Year before that, he spent some sizable amount of time in the Utd injury room at the start of the season. You take some guy like Ledley King who is a strong, big defender – but he is perpetually injured. Is there a direct relationship between getting injured and being big? I am not so sure.
@Brahmabull, Point taken, but if you look at a team like Barca (cunts), they have a bunch of small guys in their team but they don’t nearly have the kind of injuries that we do. When you have big guys who can push back, it makes the job easier for the small guys. Since you have played the game yourself, I think you will agree that in football it’s tough to put on extra weight after a certain age. I am not saying it’s not possible – but we put a lot of focus on technical development for you to see the kind of football that you see. If you want to shift the focus to making our players bigger and stronger, fine – but that has an opportunity cost. It takes away from all the drills Wengers makes the team do to teach the way he wants them to play. IMO it makes a lot more sense to bring some guys who are naturally bigger and tougher than trying to convert someone like a RVP or Rosicky into tough guys. You can only do so much with players who are brittle.
@Brahmabull, I broke my back when I was 18 and stopped lifting weights because I thought I would hurt my back. In the 17 years between then and when I starting lifting again I had tons of back problems. Since I started lifting again? None.
Gazidis bluffed when he said they will investigate every aspect of club to find out why we are so lame with injuries. and most of time its wrong diagnosis. I think we have a pathetic Medical team.
Although i can understand some impact injuries but our lads just get injured even sitting on their a-holes.
Either the Physio at Arsenal is no good or the strenght coach is not up to his task or the mental strength that Wenger is busy talking about is just none.Why do we always have more guys on the doctors treatment table the all the other clubs. Spend money on that and find out please before one shitty season again
Just for laughs.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7914299/Norwich-City-fans-plagued-by-bugs-since-team-switched-to-brighter-kit.html
@JV Mauer, There’s also a bit about Lothar Matthaeus’ ex demanding he pay to put her boobs back the way he found ‘em. Oh, I love the Onion.
@JV Mauer, “Obviously in East Anglia a lot of oilseed rape…”
eh?
@Tim, “Rapeseed (Brassica napus), also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed and (in the case of one particular group of cultivars, canola) is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family). The name derives from the Latin for turnip…” They probably should’ve just stuck with “turnip”, truth be told…
I firmly believe AW will bring in another quality CB now that Sol is off. If he doesn’t then I’m with Dave in that Wenger has lost it and needs to go. If Barca really want Cesc next year, they should go buy Ozil now and use him as incentive for a future deal.
I propose that Arsenal fans World wide post letters once a week for the next four weeks to UEFA & FIFA complaining about Barcelona FC’s ‘tapping up’ of Cesc Fabregas. Also post a letter just once to Arsenal FC requesting that they formally complain to UEFA & FIFA. I have drawn up 3 template letters that I will email to willing participants. All you need to do is type in your own Name & Address before printing off & posting. Momentum will be boosted by you forwarding the email to every one of your Arsenal FC fan family & friends, encouraging them to participate.
The aim of repetitive letters is to create an Admin headache for UEFA & FIFA with thousands of letters received from all over the world & display the strength of feeling from Arsenal FC fans. The purpose of the single letter to Arsenal FC is again to display the strength of feeling from us fans.
My email address for this campaign from where I will email you the letter templates is …….. ArsenalFansHateBarcelonaFC@gmail.com
@Kipmonster,
It would be great to take this action, alas, its very difficult to prove “Tapping”. The Barca players are not breaking the rules, only causing doubt in Fab’s head.
Fab will stay because, at Barca he will be remembered, at Arsenal he will be a “legend”
Oh dear Mr 7AM. This is such a depressing output from you, Cheer up mate.
We only have four players injured, with Rams being the major one, but has he bulked up, and he has grown an inch at least sonce Feb2010.
Match fitness is not an issue, both Fab and VANP will be available for the first home game. Thanks God we came third and need not worry about the Champion’s League. Please note our players are on form. I just returned from Austria, as a travelling fan. Observations: Frumpong is very good indeed, he can tackle and he has patience. Nasri is very trim and looking handsome, Wiltshire is the next Joe Cole but with awareness and strength.
Our first game of the season, I predict we will draw with Liverpool as Roy H have to appease HIS Liverpool fans as its his first home game. But who knows maybe Audrey may acually start running and make some goals.
@margarette adrien, You can call me Tim.
Also, did you know that my absolute, all time, A #1, favorite English saying is “oh dear?”
I’m being honest, being myself, and that means I have ups and downs with the club. Honestly? I’m worried when Rosicky is withdrawn, when Djourou goes off limping, when Arsenal lose 3 starting center backs, when Wenger hasn’t bought a keeper, when we’ve only got one experienced center back, and when the boss is saying the same things about Rosicky et. al. that he has said for the last two years.
What me worry?
@Tim,
Hi Tim, thanks for your offer of the first name. I was being very British, by being formal with my first submission.
It will be okay, don’t worry, he will buy two further players, trust me. GK buy maybe a little difficult, although in my opinion the vital purchase needed. I heard that the one he want’s is proving a little fiddle to grasp. Don’t despair, we have until 1 Sept 2010.
Shame you are in The US. I have a spare Emirates Cup ( Sat) ticket, but now its out there for anyone, its free and non saleable. Ta
There you go again, moan, moan, moan! Change the record and get your facts right.
Passenal, go back to ACLF and huddle with your dishearteningly intense Arsenal cronies. People here actually have a sense of humour.
@Passenal, I comment how I feel about the team at any given moment. Sometimes I’m super positive, some times I’m negative. Sometimes I’m brilliant, sometimes foolish. Sometimes I’m funny, sometimes serious. But what you can be assured of is that I’m not all negative like Le Grove, not all positive like ACLF, not publishing rumors like many other blogs, and usually entertaining and informative.
You might not agree with what I say and that’s fine but you’ll always get a unique perspective. As for you sticking around, that’s your choice. Your comments tend to be very well thought out (though lately you’ve decided to go down the ironic route and are strictly moan about moaning) so I like you here but if you leave, others will replace you.
Anyway, my nervousness about this Summer’s preparations stands. I’m a largely optimistic guy (as I always say, you can’t spell optimist without “tim”) but this off season seems very unusual. We have a lot of money and Wenger promised signings before the World Cup and yet none materialized. The club talked about bringing in a keeper and none materialized. Now players are turning up injured and Wenger is talking about starting the season without Cesc and van Persie. A lot of Gooners are nervous.
Rightly so, given the above.
@Tim, Some positive news for Tim: I have been a supporter for some years now, and each year I get it right except three years ago when we should have won it but fell at Birmingham ( remember Eduardo: Gallas). however Arsenal will win the Premier League this coming year, and be in the semi final of the Champ#s league. We will be in final of the FA Cup, but will not succeed in the Carling Cup : Other predicts; Real will beat Barca both home and away. Oh the Mourinho Magic.
I appreciate your lodgements, as they are often amusing and thought provoking in the main. Don’t despair, it will be okay.
Well its time for bed, nighty night
Love your optimism Margarette,
However, unless a couple good signings at CB and GK are made I would beg to disagree.
It’s still nice to hear you say that though. Arsene must be reading your mind and will make those signings.
BENDTNER’S GROIN
Watching Bendtner score in the World Cup made it very clear to me why his groin is pervasively injured.
More often than not, Bendtner’s goals come from him extensively stretching his long legs–either to poke in a cross or to punch in a loose ball with a defender near him or to get to a ball when a defender is between him and the goal.
It seems easy to aggravate the groin when sliding hard and fast with an outstretched leg, doesn’t it?
I think Bendtner aggravates his groin going heels to Jesus a little too much.
Seriously, once you injure your groin, it is incredibly delicate to heal. Hence the propensity to re-injure and re-injure again. What Bendtner needs is 6 months off, but he won’t get it.
I say add striker to the list of things we need. Eduardo is gone. Bendy’s groin, as you suggest, will probably be a recurring issue. RvP is always good for missing 1/3 of the season.
Yes, but our wise manager doesn’t think he’ll be buying any more strikers (!) We’ve lost Eduardo, and now Bendtner’s injured.
Remember last season when RVP got crocked ? Wenger didn’t see the need to bring in another striker then, either.Not even on loan.We were caught short.Does he never learn ?
“In Arsene we rust”.
Ouch!
The gestapo are out in force.
The erstwhile positive Tim lets his upbeat outlook slip and those in jackboots give him a kicking. How funny and sad. Noticed how balanced they are? How receptive to contrary ideas? Their Wenger-ideology takes on the characteristics of a pathological illness.
@PHW, I didn’t read any negative comments from any of the regular readers. Did you just come on here to mock the writer? That’s pretty pathetic.
On the contrary. I think on this ocassion Tim raised a really valid question. Why do we; (a) seem to get a lot of persistent injuries, and (b) why do the same guys keep getting injured? Is this such an unreasonable topic given the evidence of the last 5 years?
My observation was how simply raising such a question on a blog induces a rabid unbalanced response from an element of the AKB faithful. You’d think a guy like Tim who normally tries to give Wenger the benefit of the doubt would be given a fair hearing when he asks one question. But not so. There are an element of ‘the faithful’ who seem to have become attached to Wengerism not Arsenal FC.
@PHW, Sorry thought you were being sarcastic earlier. Right on all accounts … but I do think AW will do the right thing and add experience to the squad
I am gobsmacked,our squad really are a bunch of southern softies.Wenger is really starting to get on my tits in a way i have never ever experienced.
@Danish Gooner, WHOOOO a little negative blog (but i ve to agree with tim on this one) and the big ugly Danish troll is back.Have you anything positive to say about arsenal like ever .are you life so miserable that you only comment are always negative.You never ever experienced you say but you the most miserable blogger ever so i doubt Wenger have ever bring happiness in your life as gooner fan and i doubt by you comment history in all Arsenal blog you are even one.
Back to the topic
…i agree the injuries are back in force and after loosing two title in 5 year thank to them i will not accept a third one .We cannot afford to loan away some of the younger player because already half the first team will be missing before we even see the kick off with Liverpool.On the good side we will see if this youngster are really any good sooner rather than later.
Marchetti look like the next Number one as his club have said he can leave (i ve no idea if is any good hopefully not another Taibi)Hope and pray on this one but one to calm down the doomer brigade until he make a mistake of course
Wenger is on the market to buy.We have money so other team want the best deal and over-price them and that slow down the dealing
Tim, You may err on the optimist side, but you are talking good sense when you suggest that there are reasons to worry unless there is quick action to strengthen the squad. I’d love Margueritte to be correct about this coming season, but without a starting CB and GK, I think we are taking a step back defensively. Maybe, as ArseChicago suggests, we need to add a striker or another attacking player with Eduardo’s departure and our injuries. I am still hopeful that our manager plans to acquire some reinforcements and that the club is taking seriously our propensity for injury, slow healing, and re-injury.
What I don’t like to hear is more rhetoric about how we will compete simply because the younger players are a year older and will naturally improve. That may be true, but a club like ours should be doing more to insure there is competition for those places and that the not so young players don’t get complacent.
I think Arshavin is actually a pretty rugged player who will play even with a few knocks. Our injuries forced him to play more and as a central striker in tough battles with big premier league defenders. I think that may have contributed to his late season injuries.
[...] Wiltshire is the next Joe Cole but with awareness and strength. … Go here to read the rest: Signs that the season is about to start: Arsenal have 8 players … Share and [...]
Wenger had interesting things to say concerning Mertesacker.
Wenger was asked whether he wanted to sign Mertesacker.
“There are people we consider and are analysing and we look at the financial possibilities,” he replied. “We are still on the search for centre-halves. We have three and we need at least four.”
Interesting.
@Bektas, This comment was a while back, Yes?!?
@Bektas, “There are people we consider and are analysing and we look at the financial possibilities,” he replied. That’s Wenger speaking. “We’re ANALYSING” ? The analysing should have been completed BEFORE the transfer window opened.What have the scouts been doing all this time ? A short list of targets (in priority order) should have been prepared, and Wenger should have been in QUICK – as soon as the window opened.
“Looking at the financial possibilities”.That’s Wenger code for “we don’t want to pay much”.Meanwhile the best players go elsewhere.And the club goes nowhere.
“In Arsene we rust”.
@spectrum, Lol. Calm down.
What’s so interesting, Bektas? I would find it more interesting if he said that we have money to spend and know this is a need. Even more interesting would be if he said, I’ll be announcing a new top quality central defender with experience before the Emirates Cup.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_6283978,00.html
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2010/7/29/sports/6752670&sec=sports
Dum dee dum dum for those who can remember the tv show Dragnet.
Man U 1-0 MLS “All Stars” in the 28″!
11:52 2-0 Macheda again. Goodnight MLS.
@ctpa, Looks like the Mexican team is trained to chip the goalie. Can they score any other kind of goal?
Saw this link on “GunnerBlog’s” blog. I thought it was really funny. The link pretty much speaks for itself
http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/first-team.aspx
@Akash, Hilarious. But even down on their luck Portsmouth managed to bring in Sonko.
I guess that means James is definitely out.
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