As usual Arsenal have a ridiculous injury list going into the crucial second half of the season, with a glut of games coming up in the Europa League and FA Cup as well as trying to get back on track in the Premier League. We are playing Chelsea tomorrow just three days after a very tough match against Sheffield United and Arteta has very few choices for trying to rotate for tiredness.
This weekend we now have Reiss Nelson and Kolasinac joining our crowded treatment room, both with a hamstring injury. Arsenal.com are saying that they will be back in training in a couple of weeks but these things don’t normally heal quickly. Of course we already have Tierney and Chambers as long term occupants and Sokratis has a mystery illness. Bellerin was back on the bench at the weekend but is far from being matchfit. And who knows what is happening with Holding?
We already have Saka and Maitland-Niles out of position as full-backs so Arteta has no choice but to pick them again, and Luiz and Mustafi also have no backups either, so we will be mostly fielding the same side as on Saturday in a game that is now becoming a must-win, just as Arteta said today on Arsenal.com…
“It’s very, very important for us to win this game to fight for that [top-four place]. Also, the game we played at home, it could have made a big difference and we were very close to it. Tomorrow we need to win.”
Can we finally win an away game with all those players out?