Who is still alive, who is already injured and who can still get injured?

By Walter Broeckx

Despite my own personal world cup boycott I do keep an eye on it of course. The reason why I do this is because a world cup can have a big impact on the next season. Just ask Liverpool…

But of course when clubs are going to miss players from playing Fufa matches it usually is not from biting an opponent. Or should I say from ‘falling in to an opponent’ as Suarez tried to explain it. And by this he got from me the honour of being the best stand up comedian from the last decade if not century. I don’t know if he was sitting when he said it or standing up but my God he will never get rid of biting people with an attitude like that.

The first step from getting rid of whatever condition he has should be accepting that you do it. A bit like someone addicted to alcohol or other drugs. As long as he denies that he is doing it wrong, he will never even consider of doing something about the condition. I fear for Suarez. Good luck with such a player and such a mentality, Liverpool.

But enough of him. The main reason a team can lose a player is by injuries. Let’s have a look at the different teams and see if they are still in it = can still get injures. Or are out and safe for the moment. Or are out but are also injured.

So which teams are out of the tournament that have Arsenal players in them? And this is on the moment of writing of course as we are in the knock out phase and now things can change quickly.

England are out. Jack seemed to be OK and Oxlade-Chamberlain was injured but close to fitness we were told. So we can assume they will be ready when pre season starts or thereabouts and will be ready for when things really start to matter.

Spain is out. So Santi Cazorla should also be completely available around the start of the season and will be ready to play in the Community shield.

But that is it for the moment. All the other teams that have Arsenal players in their squad are still in the tournament for the moment.

First we start with Switzerland. Djourou is still officially an Arsenal player but the word on the street (not really in my street to be honest) is that he will be staying in Germany after this season. And to be honest I do think they will be going home after the next round. I think Argentina will be a bit too much for them.

Costa Rica who seem to be one of the surprises of the tournament and who have in Joel Campbell one of the discovery players of the tournament. Of course Wenger knew about him for a while, bought him and then the “wise  heads” who give work permits declared that he wasn’t that special after all and wouldn’t be allowed to play in the PL.

That seems to be set right now but one can wonder what a difference it would have made if Wenger would have had the chance to work with him in London and help him develop even faster? And between typing this article and publishing it  Costa Rico has won against Greece. What I have seen and I have put aside my personal boycott to have a look at Campbell is maybe stuff  for another article with my view on Joel Campbell. Campbell is on the still can get injured list.

We have Belgium. Half the country is standing on their head after 3 rather bleak matches but they were won and so all is right. Apart from the fact that a team that has so many outstanding players in it should be able to perform a bit better and not just play rather crap as I have been told and have watched a few times when I was at the house of other people who turned the football on.  But to keep up the “good” tradition we can confirm that Vermaelen is injured. So  nothing new then. Just as last summer he got injured playing for Belgium and now again. How nice….

Then we move on to France who have been very impressive. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the tournament. The last time I went on a holiday to France was just after they won the world cup in their own country. And lo and behold… I booked a holiday again in France this year. And even at the same place as I did the last time! So all is set for a repeat. Our two Arsenal players are fine as far as I could find any news about them. Koscielny and Giroud don’t start every match which is maybe not fine for them but is great new for me as an Arsenal supporter. But I do expect them to go a long way still so they might not be ready for the pre season start and only come really back around halfway through August. Bugger.

And finally the team with the most Arsenal players in it. And also a team that by some experts is tipped to go all the way. Mertesacker is fit and playing every minute as usual. Özil is fit and seems to be doing fine.  But alas Podolski has a little injury sustained in the match against the USA and is out for the next match at least. A little muscular tear it seems. And that is not so good news for me. Of course they have the German ‘wunder doctor” Muller-Wohlfart at their disposal and he can do the most amazing tricks with players. So I hope that Podolski will be fit again in this world cup and then will be ready for next season.

So fine should be: Jack, The Ox and Santi.

Maybe fine could be: Djourou (if he stays),

Possibly not ready at the start of pre season would be: Campbell, Koscielny, Özil, Mertesacker and Giroud

Down, out and injured are: Vermaelen and Podolski

You got to love the world cup, don’t you….

Love the game, hate Fifa.

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8 Replies to “Who is still alive, who is already injured and who can still get injured?”

  1. Per is doing well, but worries me for next season, he has played a hell of a lot of games in the last year of two.
    It is imperative that wenger either persuades TV to stay, on the promise of more games, or gets in an effective replacement. I would rather TV stays, but we shall see.
    Kos has played quite a few games in the last year as well.
    A busy summer awaits
    Luckily our players of the year had no part in blatters tournament

  2. Based on his 2013/14 season fitness history, Ozil too will need a long test before he can be much use to Arsenal in 2014/15 season.
    He had a good game tonight though; scoring Germany ‘s second and very crucial goal to move on to the quarter final.

  3. NNnnnoooooo……

    ARSENAL please dont opt for the skin tight kits. Pplleeeaaaseeeee…..

    Puma is officially our kit sponsors now. And the cover photo, club website, shows skin tight kit. Crap.

  4. Good news for Arsenal: France and Germany face each other now and this will mean that or the French or the German players will head back home after this round.

  5. @Arsenal 13,
    The con trick of new shirt designs every season has started again, with the Puma people.
    Football Clubs (including Arsenal) should be ashamed to admit to this racket of conning supporters to buy home and away kit year after year.
    Doubtless the Clubs’ accountants will say they need the money but my thoughts are on the young families who, today, are already pestering Dad to buy the new kits, in order that they may keep up with their peers.

  6. Would Joel Campbell be considered ‘world class’ having played in all of Costa Rica’s games and also having scored.
    ‘Luckily he didn’t score against England (so they got a ‘vital’ but useless point !) or else ,he may have had to face a backlash !
    All well now I hope .

  7. Walter, I think you can relax, none of the big teams are playing well at the moment. If Tim Howard didn’t have such an outstanding match, Belgium would have scored 6, 7, 8 or more goals. France has met weak opposition so far, and when they came up against a decent team in Nigeria, they found it tough.

    Brazil have been poor, they rely too much on Neymar in attack, and even home ground advantage hasnt been helping them. They were also lucky to win one or two games, like the opener against Croatia.

    Similarly Argentina have been struggling, even with all their attacking stars. You could say the same for the other big teams.

    I’m glad Giroud and Koscielny aren’t playing every game, as they probably need a rest. I can imagine our Germans will be exhausted at the end of the tournament. Cazorla hasn’t had much rest over the past two seasons, so I hope he gets an extended break. But for those players still in the World Cup, it isn’t just the games they play or don’t play, it’s all the travelling and training as well.

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