Aaron Ramsey fears that he will not be available for the beginning of the 2016-17 Premier League season with Arsenal. The Welsh midfielder enjoyed a starring campaign with the Wales national football team, reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing European Championships before they were knocked out 2-0 by Portugal.
Ramsey was forced to miss the biggest match in Welsh footballing history because of suspension and the loss of his dynamic presence in midfield was telling as Wales couldn’t cope with his absence and succumbed to an inspired Portuguese outfit.
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Arsenal kick off their league campaign against Liverpool on 14th August and Arsene Wenger, the long-serving Arsenal manager usually likes to give his players a month long break to recharge their batteries after a summer international tournament. Ramsey has been told to report back on the 1st of August, but that means he will start his pre-season training later than his teammates and is unlikely to be match fit for Arsenal’s opening match.
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“I am back on 1 August, so I have a few weeks off but, obviously, it kicks off a couple of weeks afterwards,” Ramsey said. “A few years ago, Germany won the World Cup and the German players came in just a few days before the first game of the season, but they missed that. He [Wenger] does like to give players a little break and I’ll be getting the same treatment. I feel I need a few weeks off now.”
Arsenal face a challenging start to their season in the form of a resurgent and vibrant Liverpool outfit under Jurgen Klopp and the loss of Ramsey will be a blow. Crucially, Wenger has three other players in a similar situation – Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud of France and Germany’s Mesut Özil. All three of the aforementioned Arsenal players will be in action tonight in the second Euro 2016 semi-final and might also miss Arsenal’s opening match of the season.
Ramsey will return to the Arsenal camp in a buoyant mood, though, having enjoyed some of the finest performances of his career for Wales, and will certainly excite the Gunners fans , a potential pairing with new signing Granit Xhaka will certainly be on the cards soon.
“Before the tournament, I was really keen to do well and stand up and be noticed,” Ramsey said. “I feel that I’ve done that. It helps playing in this team, as well, but I wanted to personally do my best and I think I have.” Ramsey went on to add.
