So our European adventure kicks off this evening as we face Dinamo Zagreb in .. er .. Zagreb, looking to go better than the two Manchester clubs who lost their opening games last night.
The team news is that Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey didn’t make the trip, rested ahead of the weekend’s fixture against Chelsea. Chances are they’re feeling little aches and niggles that could be aggravated, and it’s likely an exercise in caution.
Mathieu Debuchy will come in at right back while Ramsey’s place in midfield could be taken by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, or even Theo Walcott if the manager decides to play Olivier Giroud up front. I do wonder though, with Giroud and Walcott the two main strikers, if it’ll be a case of either/or, not running the risk of losing one to injury and having no obvious replacement. We might see Kieran Gibbs at left-back, and I suspect Mikel Arteta might get a first start since November.
Speaking about the need to keep his squad fresh, Arsene Wenger said:
I know the same team cannot play every single game over the next three weeks. I try to keep the balance right and give a little breather to players who need it. It is quite easy to change two or three players, more than it was in years before because they are all at a very good level.
The guys that do get the nod tonight will be looking to take their chance and remind the manager what they’re capable of. Sitting on the bench is frustrating, so they’ll have the opportunity to get some all-important playing time under their belts, and keeping them sharp for when we need them this season is going to be crucial.
Tonight’s opposition have a good record at home, unbeaten in 40+ games domestically, but Europe is a different kettle of fish altogether. They have scored only four goals in their last 12 UEFA Champions League group fixtures and have not won in the Group Stages since match-day three in 1999/2000.
We know fine well in this competition that if you go easy or underestimate the opposition in any way you can pay the price, but this really does represent a good chance to get this season’s Champions League campaign off to a winning start. After the painful exit last season there’s pressure to do better this time around, something the boss is aware of:
I am long enough to be realistic and know that you have to put hard work in. Let us focus on that first. We are ambitious but we are not dreamers.
Kick off 19.45
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Meanwhile, there was bad news yesterday for Jack Wilshere as it was revealed he’ll need surgery to correct the hairline fracture of his fibula and will be out of action for another three months. It’s a huge disappointment for him, but fears about his long-term future were quashed by Wenger who said:
This kind of injury is not career-threatening. I am not a specialist, but this was just an accident. It is a bone injury. It is not linked with the injuries he had before.
While captain Mikel Arteta said the squad would do everything they could to help him as he enters another period of rehabilitation:
He has an enormous talent and support from every department of the club, and from the players because we feel sorry for him. He has an amazing career ahead of him. We are responsible for putting that into his head every day and to not allow him to fall down because, at some stage, that is the danger; that he does not believe in himself or his body and he needs to trust himself.
I’ve seen some people suggest that yet another injury means we should give up on Jack, but I don’t buy into that at all. You don’t give up on a 23 year old with his talent. Yes, the injuries have hampered his career in a big way, but the last two have been bad luck more than anything else. A bad tackle from Paddy McNair and a challenge in training, he’s been on the receiving end and for that we ought to have real sympathy.
I genuinely think he’s a big miss for us because he has something that our other central midfielders don’t. That burst that takes him past players, between the lines, is not something you get from Cazorla, Ramsey, Coquelin etc. The only other player who does it is Tomas Rosicky and he too is sidelined. Games when you’re trying to break down a packed defence are perfect for what he brings in the final third.
On a personal level I feel very sorry for him, but it is hard not to worry that the relentlessness of the injuries might affect him – both physically and mentally. It’s got to be tough to spend 6 months out, work hard to get back, get through most of pre-season then end up back at a different square 1 because of a tackle in training.
There does comes a time when you have assess a player’s place in the squad and what he can bring to it. As I said, I think Wilshere has that something different, but if you can never use it then what good is it? However, we’re not at the point where he has to be discarded, and if you know anything about Arsene Wenger you’ll know that he’ll want to give him every possible chance to fulfill the potential he has.
In the meantime all we can do is wish him well, hope that when he recovers his luck doesn’t continue to be so awful, and he can get a good period of fitness and football under his belt. In the meantime, I did enjoy this suggestion from a commentator over on Arseblog News:
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Remember, if you’re working later, or you can’t see the game, we’ll have full live blog coverage of it for you. Check back later for a post with all the details, or bookmark our default live blog page and it’ll all start automatically.
Until then, have a good one.
