february 19th
So, what’s new in the world of Arsenal this fine morning?
Well, last night’s international friendlies have cost us two players. Gilberto was stretchered off against Ireland at Lansdowne Road last night, while Ashley Cole lasted all of 15 minutes of England’s game against Portugal before being taken off with a back problem. If only FIFA hadn’t prevented Sven from making the 11 substitutions every 5 minutes he’d been planning.
Seriously though, we’ve now got two players out injured because they were off playing in nothing games which nobody was really interested in. Well, Brazil are always an attraction, and let’s face it, Ireland haven’t seen a decent football team at Lansdowne Road since the last time Brazil were there in the 70s, but even still it’s no wonder club managers get pissed off when players come back knackered from international duty. Early reports suggest Gilberto could be out for a month, while the extent of Ashley Cole’s injury is not known but it’s nowhere near as serious. With Ray Parlour already out for 6 weeks central midfielders are a little thin on the ground at the moment – what odds Cesc on the bench for Saturday?
Ireland’s Graham Kavanagh has apologised for his tackle which injured Gilberto. Tellingly he says “It was one of those where if we’d both gone for it 50-50 then I don’t think he would have got hurt.”
Good news though is that Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg and Kanu are likely to be fit/back for Saturday’s game against Chelsea, while Robert Pires talks about how his goal against Liverpool at Anfield kick-started his season. Elsewhere, Jermaine Pennant sees his Arsenal career go from strength to strength as his loan spell at Leeds is extended for yet another month. With the injuries we’ve got at the moment you might have thought the boss might recall him to the side, but it seems that Leeds has a much bigger shop window than Arsenal can provide the eary winger. Speaking of Leeds, here’s the real reason Marc Viduka is out of Australia’s international this coming weekend.
That’s about all there is going on this morning. I have to go teach my ladies. Later.
