Untold Injury Index – Gameweek 22 « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager
Arsenal on Twitter @UntoldArsenal
Untold Arsenal on Facebook here
Untold Injury Index – Gameweek 22
By Dale Higginbottom
For the second time this week we take a look at the battered, bruised, knackered and broken. Our last league game for a week and a half and the last game in a busy period of league games so here are the numbers.
Arsenal Vs Man City
Arsenal (5 injuries)
- Goalkeeper – Almunia (15)
- Defence – Vermaelen (18), Gibbs (10)
- Midfield – Frimpong (20), Diaby (12)
- Attack – No injuries reported
Additional issues: No additional issues reported.
Man City (3 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, defence, attack – No injuries reported
- Midfield – M. Johnson (22), Silva (1)
- Attack – Balotelli (9)
Additional issues: No additional issues reported.
Wolves Vs Chelsea
Chelsea (4 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, attack – No injuries reported
- Defence – Alex (10)
- Midfield – Benayoun (16), Zhirkov (8), Mikel (3)
Additional issues: No additional issues reported.
Everton Vs Tottenham
Tottenham (4 injuries)
- Goalkeeper – Cudicini (2)
- Defence – King (15)
- Midfield – O’Hara (21), Huddlestone (10)
- Attack – No injuries reported
Additional issues: Woodgate, not in the 25-man squad, is not included in this list despite being injured. Hutton and Gallas passed late fitness tests and played the full game. Keane also was a doubt but played the last ten minutes. Bale picked up an injury and was forced off after 58 minutes.
Man Utd Vs Stoke
Man Utd (5 injuries)
- Goalkeeper – No injuries reported
- Defence – O’Shea (4)
- Midfield – Valencia (16), Hargreaves (19), Scholes (6)
- Attack – Rooney (8)
Additional issues: Gibson, Evra and Nani were all doubts for the game but all three started, the latter two playing the whole game.
Blackburn Vs Liverpool
Liverpool (3 injuries)
- Goalkeeper, attack – No issues reported
- Defence – Carragher (5)
- Midfield – Spearing (7), Meireles (1)
Additional issues: No additional issues reported.
So, a draw at home to City, not the worst result ever but I’m sure the AAA sites have had something negative to say about it. When you consider the other results this gameweek, I think we can be very happy with a draw. Ok, we’ve lost a bit of ground to Utd but they have had four pretty easy games over the Christmas period (Sunderland, Birmingham, West Brom & Stoke).
We’re top of the injury table, together with Man Utd, and like previous weeks we’re not significantly hard-done-by in this area (for now). We can still feel confident that Wenger can rotate the squad, give some fringe players a run out and still come away with two cup victories ahead of the next league game at West Ham. It feels good knowing that the squad is deep enough to cope with that and as a result it means injuries due to fatigue can be reduced, what a virtuous circle to be in.
City with just three players out showed that they really need to get the Dzeko deal pushed through quickly. The lack of attacking options is so clear and their only option is to park the bus. I’d expect more attacking flair from mid to lower table team, let alone a title-challenging side.
Chelsea can’t complain too much about their injuries, with again just four players out of action. The players they have missing are not even key players for them. Mikel and Alex might be starting XI players but I wouldn’t say that any of the four they have missing are “match winners”. Losing to Wolves must be a new low for them and their efforts to meet UEFA’s financial fair play rules might yet be in vain as they might not qualify for Europe soon.
Liverpool’s concerns are clearly not related to injuries. Whilst they also have a wafer thin squad, the big players are available and simply not playing. I think that now, Liverpool fans should really be expecting that a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn is about their level and that more of the same is likely to come. A far cry from a respectable title bid two seasons ago.
The Tiny Totts also fell short and lost away at Everton, despite their injury figures actually looking pretty healthy for a change. The knock that Bale picked up, if serious, could end up being difficult to manage, particularly with Man Utd next to play.
Next up for us, a couple of cup games, so no injury update for a little while. Instead, as we’ve now passed the halfway point of 19 games, in it’s place will be a half-season injury report. It should make for some interesting reading.
Want to read some more things you already know? Try this
We’ve found another relative of Jack Humble – the club’s founder.