With the players away on international duty, two stars have reported injury problems: Spanish full-back Hector Bellerin and Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez.
Arsenal must do all they can to protect their assets, particularly Alexis, the forward has been absolutely integral to their strong start to the season.
Alexis was with the Chile squad when he limped out of training earlier this week with a leg injury. He was immediately ruled out of Colombia clash, and Arsenal may well have expected him to return to London to recuperate.
Instead, he has remained with the Chile squad, with the national team optimistic he may be able to face Uruguay next week. Unsurprisingly, that decision seems to have irked an already concerned Arsene Wenger.
The problem is that Alexis simply doesn’t know when to stop. He’s spectacular but rarely sensible. It’s something of a double-edged sword as his dedication is admirable, but his desire to push to the limits of his physical capacity has a cost.
Alexis is so important to Arsenal—even when tiring, he remains one of the club’s most important players.
Losing him for the forthcoming match against Manchester United would be a major blow. Having failed to beat Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby last time out, that match has taken on even greater significance.
Without Alexis, that would be much tougher. Olivier Giroud is a competent replacement but not one capable of emulating the Chilean’s all-action style. A more prolonged absence would bring further problems. Let’s see how it goes.
Our friends over at Betway have hosted a special discussion on Alexis Sanchez’s injury and it’s adverse effect on Arsenal’s title challenge in their weekly Blow The Whistle YouTube show.
Will Rook is backing the Gunners with 30 seconds to state his case against Tom Clee, who feels the North London club’s titles are over without Sanchez.
What do you guys think?
Fans are encouraged to give their take on the debate, with £10 Free Bets handed out to the best answers in the YouTube comments section. Watch the episode here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B89yPqDbI38
