Defensive Hands Forced But In Whose Favour?

The media procession of the Premier League title being delivered to Old Trafford stuttered yesterday with a goalless draw probably the best result for Arsenal, ensuring that the gap to the top was closed whilst the fourth place battle between Tottenham and Chelsea stayed suitably distant.

Injuries are dominating the Arsenal horizon ahead of the FA Cup replay against Leeds, Leeds, Leeds and the Premier League visit of Wigan Athletic to The Emirates at the weekend. Gary Speed has shown a refreshing naivety in his role as Wales manager, would that others took his lead in enquiring as to whether or not a player who has been seriously injured is actually fit. No doubt that the cynicism and selfish attitude of other international coaches and FAs will take hold but for the moment, it is a pleasant change.

Thomas Vermaelen has been speaking of his injury woes,

According to the specialist who will operate on me it’s a small tendon that runs next to the achilles tendon and is irritating it, and it needs to be taken out. It is a small tendon that doesn’t do very much. Hopefully that will solve it. I’d like to be fit to play the European Championship qualifiers for Belgium in March, but really I’d prefer not to make predictions. I remain cautious

Well that’s what The Guardian reckons. According to the inside scoop of Daily Mirror-land, he’s aiming for Barcelona. If he can recover that quickly from an operation, the question is why has there been so much fannying around up until now. Little doubt that the medical staff will get criticism at some point for the length of the Belgian’s absence but it seems that the consultant’s and surgeon’s have something to answer for.

It still leaves Wenger in a quandry; does the situation require him to dive into the transfer market or can he make do with that which he already has? The short-term approach would be to say, “Yes, we have enough”, but it would only take Koscielny to get a red card or Djourou to suffer an injury before the end of March for the folly of that belief to become apparent.

Quite simply, Wenger has to sign someone. The question then becomes, what sort of player and whom? Does he look for  short-term replacement, along the lines of Sol Campbell (but I hasten to add, not Sol), someone to get him through this tricky patch and then be released in the summer.

Or is the pecking order of centre backs evolving still at the club. At this moment in time, were everyone fit, my feeling is that Vermaelen and Djourou would be the Premier and Champions League’s pairing of choice with Squillaci and Koscielny covering cup competitions and the odd domestic league fixture. Would a new signing be brought in, risking disruption to that order and the career development of Djourou and Koscielny?

My own feeling is that Wenger will look for a short-term solution, someone who prevents the necessity of having Alex Song drop in as centre back. The speculation might be for Cahill, Samba, Taylor but I suspect another player in the mould of Squillaci is going to be signed, someone to provide no more than cover this season.

We shall see. ’til Tomorrow.

Advertisement