Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice received a three-week break after their impressive performances in Euro 2024. However, just two weeks after competing for silverware in Paris, our Gunner women stars, Mariona Caldentey, Laia Codina, and Emily Fox, who were heavily involved in the Olympics, have already rejoined the Arsenal Womens team for the USA pre-season tour.
The Arsenal Women’s USA tour ends on Sunday, so why bother flying the Gunner trio over for just a few days, two weeks after the exploits in the Olympics?
It would have been preferable to give them just over two weeks off and then rejoin the club once they returned to London. Mariona Caldentey has played so much in the last year, appearing in 68 games for the club and country. She is one player who should not be involved until her body fully recovers; she has had a very lengthy season.
People often assume that because the players aren’t playing, they’re resting. Yes, there’s the winter break, which on paper appears to be four weeks long, but when you look closer, it’s more like two! There are cup matches in early–mid January and some training sessions at the end of the last game before Christmas, although the players return earlier than you may expect to resume training.
Some of the other players have had a longer vacation because they were not participating in the Olympics, but there were still some Euro qualifier matches over the summer, as well as training camps lasting a week or two. I would be concerned if either Caldentey, Fox, or Codina featured next weekend when our Arsenal women faced Chelsea at the Audi Field, unless it is just for a short cameo.
Do you agree?
Michelle M
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This is a difficult one. Clearly none of them should play. But how much do we sacrifice to get players ready to get through the champions league qualifiers?
In the recent friendly, most of our players looked well off the pace (even Kimmy) apart from Lessi, and the ginger haired CB whose name I can’t remember.
We haven’t got long til the CL qualifiers, but I think Cody is right to play, Mariona a max of 20 mins to get used to arsenal play, and fox not all.
Meanwhile, I can’t believe how much Pelova is coming on. Not did she only get up and try to continue playing after an acl, but she is already using a stationary bike in the gym – kudos!