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A different wilde side, just as odd though
Untold Injury Index – Gameweek 27
By Dale Higginbottom
Another weekend game of a thrilling season and we welcomed Wolves, one of the Wobbly Woobleyous to the Ems but how prepared were we and how much did the international break impact on our injury list?
Arsenal Vs Wolves
Arsenal (5 injuries)
- Goalkeeper – Fabianski (5)
- Defence – Vermaelen (23)
- Midfield – Frimpong (25), Nasri (5), Rosicky (1)
- Attack – No injuries reported
Additional issues: Denilson returned to the squad and made a late second-half substitute appearance. Djourou also recovered from his knock picked up against Newcastle and started the game.
Man Utd Vs Man City
Man Utd (4 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, attack – No injuries reported.
- Defence – Ferdinand (8), Evans (4)
- Midfield – Valencia (22), Hargreaves (25)
Additional issues: No additional issues reported.
Man City (4 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, defence – No injuries reported
- Midfield – M. Johnson (27), A. Johnson (3), De Jong (2)
- Attack – Balotelli (14)
Additional issues: Richards played the full game, returning from a spell out. Milner had to be replaced after 60 minutes after picking up a knock.
Liverpool Vs Wigan
Liverpool (6 injuries)
- Goalkeeper – No injuries reported
- Defence – Agger (12)
- Midfield – Spearing (11), Cole (8), Gerrard (5)
- Attack – Carroll (3), Shelvey (1)
Additional issues: Skrtel and Kelly were doubts but played the whole game. Meireles wad forced off after 54 minutes with an illness.
Sunderland Vs Tottenham
Tottenham (6 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, attack – No injuries reported.
- Defence – King (20), Kaboul (8)
- Midfield –Huddlestone (15) Bale (3), Modric (6), Van der Vaart (4)
Additional issues: Crouch had a back injury that likely kept him on the bench.
Fulham Vs Chelsea
Chelsea (3 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, attack – No injuries reported
- Defence – Alex (15)
- Midfield – Benayoun (21), Zhirkov (13)
Additional issues: Bosingwa is a doubt for the game.
(Please note this final review was written before the game.)
So, what’s the news? Well, we’re just waiting around for some big news really. It feels a bit like watching 24-hour rolling news channels, repeating the same information from the same stories and hoping, above all else, that something exciting will happen just to give you something new to think about. The injuries on the whole appear to have plateaued, for the time being at least, but with the games piling up with cup games, possible replays, re-arranged league games and international qualifiers, we must see some increased activity on this front in the next couple of weeks.
It’s always great to get a win straight after an international break. The players have been away and have had less time to train together and prepare for game so a solid three points is always welcome. An especially welcome is the beautiful one-touch play that led to the second goal. Much more exhilarating than some fancy-pants acrobatic kick.
We largely escaped international break-ages, just the injury to Rosicky which, at the moment is not a worry given the players we still have ahead of him in the pecking order. Talking of international injuries, Vermaelen looks set to be ready for early March, which would be a massive boost after the Carling Cup final, ahead of the push for the league title.
Elsewhere, results generally went as expected given the injuries reported. The slight surprise is Liverpool’s rise to top the injury table with Spurs. Their squad is still weak despite their 2-for-1 Torres swap and therefore couldn’t hold on to their lead. They lost Agger to another international injury which adds to the ten games he’s already missed this season due to international games.
Spurs still seem to be pulling the results out of the bag, even with four of their best five midfielders out but ultimately they might just be a little short in quality when it matters against the big teams.
The Manchester derby was a slight disappointment for us. With both teams suffering the same level of injuries, we were all hoping Mancini would do as he did at the Ems and park his shiny, sparkly, very expensive bus in front of the City goal and it would end up being a dull 0-0. Well, he didn’t and it wasn’t so we’re still four points behind United but at least now we’ve no need to worry too much about anyone else catching up.
The focus for us now moves away from the league for a while. Our only league game for the rest of this month is actually the re-scheduled home game against Stoke. Whilst injuries may happen in the mean time, we should hopefully cope well until the league properly kick-starts again for us on March 5th, when we may see our favourite Belgian (sorry Walter) back in the squad.
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Just a little appendix top the above Chelsea figures
Bosingwa in fact did not make the squad due to picking up an injury on international duty. Chelsea therefore had 4 players out and even then were lucky to get a point. That race for 3rd and fourth looks like it could be tight. Despite Liverpool’s recent run of good results, I think it’ll be a bit of a too little too late.
So, one question I’d like to ask, who would us Arsenal fans prefer missed out on Champions League football next season? Our neighbours The Tiny Totts, big money desperation of Chelsea or another season of City failing to make the grade?
@ Dale – difficult choice and one would get great pleasure from any one of them failing to get in. However, on balance, it has to be the Spuds for me.
I don’t want to be greedy but all three of them would be nice. If push came to shove, Chel$ki missing out would be favorite.
charity and man-o-man charity missing out would be really great. Look on torres face will be priceless.
an interesting question Dale.
I think chelsea and Man city missing out will hurt their ego and pride but with the rich man in the seat they will just buy even more and more.
Tottenham missing CL next season could be destroying them. There resources are not unlimited and missing the CL money next season would force them to sell players and get weaker.
So if I look at it in that way I would pick Tottenham to loose the CL spot.
chavs missing would be great. but i would also prefer the tiny tots missing out too.
I love to see Chelsea AND Totenham lose out. That would be great
Chelsea out!It would be a wonderful treat to see them drop out of the top four.. and Tiny totts losing in the qualifiers 😉 that would be the icing on the cake!
If sp*rs fail to qualify for the champions league then there is a real possibility they could go the way of ‘arry’s previous teams (southampton, Portsmouth, West Ham etc.) and that would be quite funny.
On the injury topic: if only we could recover Vermaelen and Nasri again and have no other new injured players….. That would be great!
Nari has been in full training Monday and Tuesday, he is included in the squad to face Barcelona. He is back to full fitness, only a test made later today will conclude if there is a possibility for a setback. In which case he will only be used as a sub. It is looking very likely that he will start the match.
Nasri is in squad but Wenger says he will not take medical risk, Diaby is out with calf problem and Rosicky is avaible according Arsenal tweets.
As for who to see out from CL well Tinies had several years that they didn’t make it and anyway I hate Chelski and ManC more so seeing Chelski out would be great. A dream would be that Liverpool would somehow make it… Really I want them all out from there.
After watching Drogba the last few years taunt us with goal celebrations and all the crap about how many he scores against us.
I think there would be no smugger a look than mine if chelsea with all their millions loose their status and can attract no new players over the summer 🙂
City is just another play thing and Sp*rs I just dont care about in anyway shape or form once they finish behind us in the league.
I agree Finn I’m rooting for Liverpool to make it above Chelsea and Spurs, not sure how likely that is though…
Though it pains me to say it Man City will defintely make it which could spell big trouble for next season as they will potentially be able to attract more quality players to add to a squad which you would imagine will have gelled enough by then to start playing more expansive football.
I can see a new London-Manchester rivalry starting from next season onwards, similar to that of the late 90s/early 00s (Arsenal/United) – Arsenal vs Manchester City.