Arsenal injury news: Sanchez blow could scupper season
30 November
As Arsenal wait for the results of a scan on Alexis Sanchez, who was forced off during the Gunners' underwhelming draw with Norwich, the greatest cause for concern is that no-one is at all surprised by his hamstring injury.
The talismanic Chilean pulled up lame in the 60th minute of the 1-1 stalemate, but the sight of an Arsenal midfielder going down with a muscle injury is hardly novel. It has happened to Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta in recent weeks. Kieran Gibbs also picked up a strain in training recently.
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Sanchez's injury came after Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted before the match that the player had experienced a hamstring "alarm" in the days before the game and needed a rest.
"It is fair to say that just about everyone, including Arsene Wenger, had feared it could come to this," says the Daily Telegraph. "Sanchez was playing in his 90th football match on Sunday since joining Arsenal only 16 months ago and even his resistance had its limits."
If it a serious injury it could even scupper Arsenal's title hopes and their chances of making the last 16 of the Champions League, says John Cross in the Daily Mirror.
"The injury list has now reached ten. It has got completely out of hand... And yet it does seem to happen to Arsenal each and every season. It's like Groundhog Day."
He blames Wenger for not listening to medics and choosing to make his players play through the "red zone" when they need a rest.
Part of that is because Wenger operates with a small squad, says Cross. A consequence of that is that there is even less cover when the injuries bite.
While the loss of Sanchez would be crippling for the Gunners they are also sweating over Laurent Koscielny, who was forced off after ten minutes against Norwich with a hip porblem, and Santi Cazorla, who finished the game with a knee problem.
Sky Sports points out that in November the Gunners have picked up more injuries than points in the Premier League.
However, Wenger sought to allay fears over Koscielny and Cazorla. He told the BBC that both would be available next weekend, reports Metro.
Arsenal injury news: Coquelin joins Walcott, Ramsey and Ox
23 November
After a bad weekend for Arsenal some believe the Gunners season is all but over following a new raft of injuries.
The Gunners not only lost to West Brom on Saturday they lost a key man in Francis Coquelin, who hobbled off in the first half of the match. The French footballer is expected to be ruled out until the new year with knee ligament damage.
Coquelin was replaced by Mikel Arteta, but he too was forced off with a calf problem. The Spaniard became the fourth Gunner to suffer a muscle injury during a game in the space of a month.
However, Arteta's popularity among the Arsenal faithful has fallen so low that few mourned his departure after a 35-minute cameo in which he scored an own goal and gave away the free kick that handed West Brom victory.
But the bad news does not end there for the Gunners, as a horribly familiar tale of lengthy rehabilitation following a routine injury unfolds yet again the Emirates.
This time it's Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who remain sidelined. All three have picked up muscle strains in recent weeks, but all were expected back after the international break.
So far none of them have made an appearance and none of them will do so before next weekend at the earliest, says The Independent.
"Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott will not feature in Europe this week although the pair are nearing a return to action," says the paper. "Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury and could be out until Christmas."
Most other papers believe Oxlade-Chamberlain will be back well before then, but Sky Sports highlights the limited scope of the Arsenal medical team's ambitions when it reports: "The Gunners hope to have Walcott and [Tomas] Rosicky back in contention for the Christmas period."
Arsenal face Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday night with seven midfielders, plus Danny Welbeck, out injured. Defeat in that game would see the Gunners finish bottom of their group and eliminated from Europe. A draw would leave them battling for a place in the Europa League, while victory would give them a chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages.
Arsenal injury news: Walcott and Ramsey still sidelined
13 November
Hopes that Arsenal would be able to welcome back most of their injured stars after the international break have been dashed as, yet again, the Gunners find themselves fighting a losing battle against muscle injuries.
Arsene Wenger will be able to welcome back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Hector Bellerin against West Brom on 21 November, but the Daily Mirror reports that "Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott are facing lengthier spells on the sidelines".
The latter duo were also expected to return this month, but they will remain on the sidelines where they will be joined by Alexis Sanchez. Arsenal's Chilean talisman was rushed back into the side at the start of the season, despite promises from Arsene Wenger that he would be given time to recover from his exploits at the Copa America.
But now, with the winger facing the prospect of burn out and amid fears that he too could fall victim to injury, the Gunners have decided to give him a mid season break, says the Mirror.
There is good news, however, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain posting a video on his Instagram account, showing him sprinting at 90 per cent capacity in training.
Arsenal injury news: warm-up to blame for Walcott and Ox blow?
28 October
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is sweating over the fitness of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott after both players were injured in the opening minutes of the Gunners defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.
They join outfield players Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky on the sidelines as the Emirates injury jinx refuses to go away. Goalkeeper David Ospina is also out with a thigh problem.
The fact that both players have muscle injuries is a further cause for concern as that has been a serious problem for Arsenal in the past.
The Gunners boss has revealed that the extent of the injuries will not be known for 48 hours, but he is under scrutiny for sending out Walcott to replace Oxlade-Chamberlain without giving him time for a full warm up.
"It may have been an unfortunate coincidence, but when two players with chequered fitness records suffer muscle injuries in the early stages of games, the intensity of their warm-up must surely be questioned," says the Daily Telegraph.
When Ramsey went down with a hamstring injury during the Champions League match against Bayern Munich Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was quick to blame Wales for the problem, claiming that Ramsey's injury was made more likely by the fact he had played 90 minutes for his country a week earlier.
But Wenger cannot point the finger at England for the muscle injuries sustained by Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, as neither has played a full 90 minutes in the fortnight before the game against Wednesday.
Arsenal injury news: Wilshere faces surgery on leg fracture
15 September
Such is the extent of Arsenal's injury jinx that Arsene Wenger now apparently regards surgery as no more than a "little setback" for a player.
That is how the French manager described an undisclosed setback for perennial crock Jack Wilshere last week, but it now appears that the midfielder requires an operation on a hairline fracture in his left leg and could even have a metal plate inserted.
The procedure could delay the midfielder's return to action by weeks if not months and the news comes soon after striker Danny Welbeck was ruled out until the new year after also going under the surgeon's knife.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Wilshere has been "provisionally booked in" this week for a "procedure which could lead to a metal plate being inserted into his leg".
News that Wilshere's comeback from his latest injury had been delayed broke last week but it seems the setback was worse than expected and "doctors have decided that an operation is needed to properly correct the problem", reports The Times.
The revelation "will again raise questions over Arsenal's rehabilitation of their injured players", adds the Telegraph. "It had been hoped Wilshere would return after the recent international break but there is now concern that he will be out for some time yet.
"There is no suggestion that it may put his participation in the Euro 2016 finals in jeopardy but Hodgson will be frustrated given it appears Wilshere will not now be available for the four England internationals scheduled this autumn."
History does not augur well, as Wilshere rarely seems to return to action on schedule and the midfielder's injury record is appalling. He was out from November until April last season after damaging and ankle, and according to website Transfer Market he has missed well over 100 games for the Gunners since breaking into the side in 2009.
Welbeck out until Christmas - and Wenger knew last week
15 September
Arsenal's transfer policy is under renewed scrutiny after the club confirmed that striker Danny Welbeck could be sidelined until the new year. The Gunners failed to sign a single outfield player in the summer transfer window, leaving fans in a state of disbelief and that's turning to disgust now that details of Welbeck's injury has broken.
The news also puts the focus back on the club's appalling track record when it comes to injuries. According to website Transfer Market, Welbeck was out injured for a total of 113 days during six seasons with Manchester United, and had a 25 day injury lay off while on loan at Sunderland.
Since joining Arsenal a year ago he has spent 165 days on the treatment table, and could now be out for a further 100 days.
The former Manchester United striker has not kicked a ball in anger in four months, and though manager Arsene Wenger made encouraging noises about Welbeck's recovery from a knee injury in July - even suggesting the striker could return for the Emirates Cup - the club issued a statement on their website on Thursday afternoon that said: "The striker has been working throughout the summer to recover from the injury sustained at the end of April. It had been hoped he would avoid surgery but, after increasing his training workload, the injury to his cartilage did not respond as well as hoped.
"The decision was taken last week for him to undergo surgery by a leading specialist in the field. Danny is now expected to be out for a period of months."
It's quite a revelation that Wenger knew the extent of Welbeck's injury last week that might tip some Gooners over the edge.
With Arsenal's strikeforce managing just one league goal between them in the first four matches of the season, the news that Welbeck won't be seen for months begs the questions: why didn't Wenger sign a replacement striker?
Instead the Frenchman has put his faith in Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott to spearhead the Arsenal attack, a decision that sits uncomfortably not just with fans but former players. Martin Keown and Sol Campbell have already attacked Wenger's transfer policy and now Paul Merson had echoed their criticisms during an interview with Sky Sports.
"It cheats the fans," said Merson when asked what he thought of Wenger's refusal to sign any outfield players. "The fans think 'what are we coming for? We turn up every week, we pay the highest prices and what for? Top four? We might get a day out at Wembley again in the FA Cup.' Wow-wee."
Pointing out that the Arsenal outfield squad this season is "the same team that finished 12 points behind Chelsea last year", Merson added: "There's a saying in life: keep on doing the things you do and you'll get the same results. How different is this season going to be for Arsenal?"
Most Gooners already the answer to that question, which is why they're so gloomy.
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