Theo Walcott is finally back into the picture following his appearance vs Hull after being out for nearly a year. Mesut Özil, Aaron Ramsey, and Danny Welbeck also seem to be in contention for the next game. The Ox’s injury also doesn’t seem to be as serious as feared. For the first time this season, Monsieur Wenger will actually have a near-full strength squad at his disposal. Arteta is also back soon, and Wilshere a little later in February.
What is happening at the Emirates? Have the injury gods finally showered some blessings over our lads? We’ve all gotten so accustomed to Arsenal being synonymous with injuries that I don’t really remember the last time we had a very small injury-list. It almost seems unnatural for Wenger’s boys to all be on the pitch together. It just feels wrong now doesn’t it, for Arsenal to not have a substantial amount of their first team out injured! Özil and Walcott can’t be in the team at the same time now can they? It is going against nature! I strongly feel Wenger must have had some serious black magic stuff conducted to make sure we were finally rid of our problems on the injury front.
All jokes aside, I can’t quite wait for the day that we have our Ö playing alongside Rambo in the center of the park with Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott tearing into defences. I have been waiting too long for that day. That day is quite close. Özil could be involved vs Stoke and so could Ramsey. Maybe a start for either would be too soon on the road to recovery but having Walcott back was so encouraging. Walcott with all his runs and movement freed up much space for Sanchez and it brought out a different game of the latter, all the more entertaining and all the more devastating. Sanchez’s pin point passes forward onto the runs made by Walcott and Campbell were beautiful to watch. I can’t wait to see what wonders we’d manage with a fit squad and a regular team.
I still have difficulty picking the best eleven when most of the squad is fit. Should Giroud be played as the lone striker? A role in which he thrives when he has people around making runs beyond him. Or should we stick with using Welbeck up front to form an extremely fluidic front three of him, Sanchez and Walcott, an attack which screams pace pace pace!! Or perhaps we should sacrifice a forward to accomodate Cazorla and Özil into the same team? I honestly feel Giroud should start up front against Stoke with Sanchez and Walcott flanking him. What a sight that would be. I’m just dreaming of watching Ö, Sanchez and Walcott in the same team.
Hopefully I’ve not jinxed Injury Gods with this article. Surely not? But with Arsenal’s luck with injuries, you can never be sure. Let’s hope we add a decent player to our defensive ranks this January just to be sure.