Morning.
Properly, if this isn’t the season that retains on giving. As we fear concerning the gamers who’ve gone away to play for his or her international locations throughout this Interlull, information drops about an damage concern for a kind of who has stayed behind. Ben White has undergone surgical procedure on his knee to right a long-standing drawback, and is reportedly going to be out for one thing like 6-8 weeks.
I don’t suppose it’s an enormous shock. There was chat about him carrying a knock for a while, and simply a few weeks in the past, he was deemed not match sufficient to begin in opposition to Newcastle (however did come on for 20 minutes on the finish). He missed Premier League video games in opposition to Leicester and Southampton, the Champions League tie in opposition to PSG, and each EFL Cup ties this season to this point. For a man who was mainly ever-present final season, that informed you there was one thing happening.
The conclusion I drew was that he was being managed fairly fastidiously all through this season to this point. Maybe Arsenal appeared on the fixture listing and thought the run of video games after this explicit Interlull made probably the most sense when it comes to timing, if he did need to go beneath the knife. I perceive when folks ask why he didn’t have the surgical procedure throughout the summer season if this was an ongoing concern, I suppose the reply is that they’ve been doing all the pieces they will to keep away from getting so far. As a lot as attainable you wish to keep away from that choice, however clearly now there was no different alternative. All we are able to do is hope the operation has gone nicely, and the restoration is as fast and simple as attainable.
Knees may be sophisticated issues. We’ve talked just lately about Gabriel Jesus and the way the knee damage he sustained on the World Cup has impacted his profession. Clearly I can’t say 100% as I don’t have his medical info, however he had a nasty damage then two surgical procedures (one main, one minor), which could be a part of why he’s struggled since. The chances are high that there are myriad causes for Jesus’s decline, however on the useless centre of them is a knee damage and two operations, so fingers crossed for Ben White.
It definitely offers Mikel Arteta a little bit of considering to do about how he units up on the suitable hand aspect any further. The plain substitute is Jurrien Timber who can play on the left to good impact, however who appears to be like to me extra dynamic on the suitable. Which needs to be no shock, he performed most of his profession earlier than becoming a member of us as a right-back or a right-sided centre-half, and though the pattern dimension is small, I feel his greatest efficiency for us got here there when he tore up and down the suitable aspect within the 4-2 win over Leicester. He ended that recreation with an help and seven key passes to his title, and for me he’s by far probably the most convincing choice we now have out there in White’s absence.
After that, I actually hope we get Takehiro Tomiyasu match as a result of he’s the following greatest in that place. It’s an enormous if, I realise. His damage points have been many and assorted, which is such a disgrace as a result of he’s a extremely good participant, so now could be a really, very helpful time for him to discover a interval of health and availability. The staff wants him.
It additionally implies that the left-hand aspect can be impacted. All going nicely, Riccardo Calafiori can keep match after the Interlull, as a result of that’s your first alternative left-back proper there. If there are video games he has to take a seat out although, I’d choose Mikel Arteta went with considered one of his extra pure choices fairly than shifting folks out of place. Your mileage will fluctuate on how a lot we are able to or ought to depend on Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior or Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back, however I’d fairly considered one of them there and Timber on the suitable than extra of what we’ve seen at occasions this season.
Even right here, the presence of Tomiyasu could be so helpful, as a result of he and Timber are so versatile both of them might do the full-back jobs. Tomi on the left is one thing we’ve seen earlier than, and it has labored nicely, so I’m gonna preserve all the pieces crossed he can play a component. Am I going to place an enormous wager on him being out there? No, I’m not as silly as I look, however I can hope all the identical.
Proper, that’s your lot for this morning. We’ve got some gamers in worldwide motion afterward, so mild your candles and say your prayers. Again tomorrow with extra, in addition to a model new Arsecast.
Till then.
