Arsenal’s recent history is littered with horrific injuries to key personnel which clearly impacted it’s title aspirations in the recent past.
The January transfer window is usually bereft of good pickings. The pick of the crop: impactful players that are, are cup-tied and relegation threatened clubs fight to keep their club jewels tooth and nail.
Arsenal are more likely to pluck its cherries straight out from the treatment table, all patched up and ready to kick the team back into the title race.
Who will forget the unsightly fracture Ramsey suffered at Britannia Stadium when Shawcross savagely plowed into Ramsey’s shin, shattering his tibia and fibula. The injury, back in 2010, landed him in the sick bay for 9 long months. When Ramsey stepped back onto the pitch he was like a new addition to the team.
One of the most blood-chilling injuries to any player occurred to Eduardo Da Silver on 23 February 2008 courtesy of Martin Taylor at Saint Andrews Park. The challenge caught Eduardo on his left leg which was planted in the ground, snapping his fibula and savagely dislocating his angle. The other players could hardly look at the injury and Sky Sports news decided against showing replays of the incident.
After that injury, the former Dynamo Zagreb, Brazilian-born Croatian striker was never his lethal self, robbing the Gunners of a bucketful of goals.
As we approach the halfway mark in the current season, the team has a long list of players in the treatment room: some of them like Santi Carzola and Mustafi terribly missed because of the skills sets they bring.
Some of the notable injuries include Oxlade Chamberlain (hamstring), Danny Welbeck (meniscus tear), Mustafi ( Hamstring), Debuchy ( Hamstring), Mertesacker (knee and Achilles).
In total Arsenal has lost approximately 502 days of play from these injuries Arsenal report. com alone.
Whilst it is difficult to determine the quantum of impact the 502 days of lost play have contributed, what is clear is that the team could have played better with all its players at its disposal. Of course, the assumption is that Wenger would have made the right choices on which players to use and in which game.
The latest injury update from Wenger confirmed that Ramsey, Welbeck and Oxlade-Chamberlain are all expected to return in the first few weeks of January.
Whilst arsenal fans are likely to rejoice at this piece of positive news, they will be wishing that Mustafi and Carzola too will be back soon to help bring the club back into contention.
Until later folks. …Adios
