Normally it is the performances that crumble away for Arsenal at the latter stage of a season but this time around it is the players who are suffering. Another game and another couple of players were taken off due to injury while not many would fret about Mikel Arteta getting injured, the sight of Francis Coquelin hobbling off will worry most Arsenal fans.
Losing Coquelin would not have been a worry for Arsenal but the Gunners are thin in first team players with a number of them out with long injuries. Let’s get the list out right now, Ramsey, Oxlade – Chamberlain, Walcott, Wilshere and Rosicky are just some of the options that are unavailable for Arsene Wenger. With a number of important games, well almost every game is important, coming up for the Gunners, just how can Wenger cope with yet another significant injury?
Good news and bad news
The bad news first, we do not know the extent of Coquelin’s injury yet, but expecting the worst, he could be out for a couple of months, that could very well throw a spanner in the works for Arsenal. Coquelin has been one of the best defensive midfielders this season and has carried his form from last season when he broke into the first team and absolutely owned and made his place in the starting XI.
The tough tackling ability and composure he brought to central midfield gave Arsenal the steel they have often missed throughout the years and frankly they do not have a direct replacement for him in the squad. There is some good news around the corner, though, Aaron Ramsey should be returning to the squad pretty soon and instead of playing him down the right side of midfield, Arsene Wenger should play him in the middle of the park.
The Welsh international provides his team with more than just attacking intent when playing, he can run around and do a great job, of course, he doesn’t tackle as well as Coquelin does, but he can do a pretty good job in midfield and from all the options at his disposal, Ramsey should be the one who plays there.
The other option could be playing Mathieu Flamini in the middle but the Frenchman should be used only as a substitute for Ramsey or until Ramsey gets back to full fitness. Flamini might have built a company that can save the future, but he isn’t the same player that he once was at Arsenal before he left for AC Milan. The midfielder can still do a job, but he cannot do it on a weekly basis.
The injuries are going to play a huge part for Arsenal in their quest for the title, they should have been at the top of the league come the end of the game week, West Brom wouldn’t have been the toughest team to defeat on paper, but this is football, to expect the unexpected. If Arsenal do get another couple of injuries, it could pretty well start the slide for Arsenal, a little early.