yomskin: The gunners fall has begun...............come april, dey'll be fighting for CL spot

yomskin: The gunners fall has begun...............come april, dey'll be fighting for CL spot

yomskin: The gunners fall has begun...............come april, dey'll be fighting for CL spot

dguy in dcorner: [b] Arsenal’s Manager, Arsène Wenger
admits he is facing a potential injury
crisis ahead of the New Year’s Day
clash against Cardiff City , which striker
Olivier Giroud will definitely miss
because of an ankle problem.
Midfielders Tomas Rosicky (calf) and
Jack Wilshere (ankle) both face fitness
tests later on Tuesday, as does England
forward Theo Walcott , who picked up a
shoulder problem in the 1-0 win at
Newcastle.
Full-back Kieran Gibbs definitely misses
out because of a calf strain, while fellow
defenders Nacho Monreal and Thomas
Vermaelen have both been laid low by
illness . Midfielder Aaron Ramsey is
expected to be unavailable for around
three weeks with the thigh problem
suffered in the win at West Ham on
Boxing Day, while German playmaker
Mesut Özil is also sidelined, with the
club awaiting results of a visit to a
shoulder specialist.
“You need a good memory because we
have plenty of problems,” said Wenger,
whose side head into 2014 top of the
table by a point from Manchester City.
Ramsey and Özil are out. Ramsey (for)
three weeks and Özil has seen a
specialist last night, I haven’t got a
report yet.
“We lost Gibbs at Newcastle with a calf
strain. We have as well Monreal and
Vermaelen, who are not sure to be
ready because they come just back
from illness, then we have uncertainty
about Rosicky, Wilshere and Walcott.
”We lost Giroud on an ankle problem at
Newcastle, so this morning will be more
a medical check to see who will be
available for tomorrow’s game.”
Wenger, though, moved to allay any
worries Giroud’s injury could be a long-
term concern. “Olivier is a strong
structure and he recovers quite quickly,”
said Wenger of the France striker,
whose second-half header secured
victory at Newcastle to end his mini-
goal drought. “He thinks he will be all
right for Saturday, but the medical
people think he will be a bit short. He is
quite optimistic about it.”
Wenger must decide whether to start
Lukas Podolski, who scored on his
return from a four-month injury lay-off
at Upton Park, or Nicklas Bendtner in
attack against the Bluebirds. “I have to
see how I can balance the team
because I have to consider as well who
else is out and how can I get a
balanced team out there,” he said.
Wenger will measure up Arsenal‘s
options ahead of the transfer window
opening again on New Year’s Day. “We
are like many clubs, we are certainly on
alert if something special turns up we
will not turn it down, but we are not as
well desperate because we have a big
depth in our squad,” the Arsenal boss
said.
“We have shown that because our
midfield for example at West Ham and
at Newcastle was completely different –
we changed three players and we still
managed to have a very strong team.”
France international Giroud admits he
would “rather not see a new striker
come in” next month.
Wenger, though, maintains Arsenal are
not looking to replace their 11-goal
forward, rather offer him support.
“Would you expect anything different
from a striker?” said Wenger when
asked what he thought of Giroud’s
comments to French TV.
“I believe we have to give him credit for
one thing, that physically he has coped
with it until now in a remarkable way
and with a fantastic combative attitude.
I don’t know if we will do something or
not (in January), but it is not to replace
Olivier Giroud – we have a great
confidence in Olivier Giroud.”[/b]