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As the international break looms, there is a palpable fear when players invited for national team duties go away to play for their various countries especially at this time of the season in England. The winter schedule of fixtures demands that managers fully utilize the full compliment of their squad, when fixtures will come very thick and fast.
As for Arsenal, there is the need to have key players fit for the upcoming months. After the international break, Arsenal face daunting and tricky fixtures both domestically and in Europe.
Let's briefly take a look at the fixtures and why the gunners will need the full compliment of their squad to execute these matches in the best possible way.
#1 Bournemouth v Arsenal
On November 25 2018, the gunners travel to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth in the Premier League. This looks like an easy fixture on paper, but considering that Arsenal have failed to pick up maximum points at this stadium on the last two seasons show the task that lies before them.
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The game at the Vitality stadium comes just after the international break with the likelihood of players representing their various countries just few days before taking on Bournemouth.
For example, some Arsenal players like Torreira, Iwobi and Henrikh Mhkitrayan still have to represent their national teams on Tuesday November 20 meaning they just have at most 3 days to recover and prepare for the game against the Cherries. Any injuries to some or all these players will leave Arsenal very slim interms of attacking midfielders-a situation that Unai Emery will not want to face.
#2 Vorskla v Arsenal
On November 29 2018, Arsenal travel to Ukraine to take on Vorskla in the Europa league. This is a team that scored two goals at the Emirates in the first leg so it is never going to be an easy fixture.
This game just comes four days after the gunners take on Bournemouth in the Premier League. Considering the fact that it is an away game as well as the fact that Arsenal take on Tottenham over the weekend, Unai Emery will need rotate his squad to enable players to be fresh to face their bitter rivals.
On the other hand, this game is extremely important as well, because the gunners are not yet guaranteed top spot in their Europa League group unless they defeat Vorskla in Ukraine. So the players will need to be given the much needed rest to compete in these games.
#3 Arsenal v Tottenham
Arsenal begins the difficult month of December with a home fixture against North London rivals Spurs. We all know how derby games against Tottenham has been over the years and there is no doubt that this game will require the entire squad to be fully fit.
While the players will be fully concentrated on the game against Spurs, they will also remember that in a couple of days they have to go to Old Trafford to take on Jose Mourinho's men. To win football games, the gunners need to score goals and to score goals, they definitely need their strikers to be fit as fiddles to play these games.
Danny Welbeck's injury is the most significant of all because it puts Alex Lacazette and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang under pressure to deliver. Youngster Eddie Nketiah cannot be relied upon as a backup to these strikers. He will most likely get to play in the match against Vorskla but definitely not against Tottenham and United, so Emery must be anxious to see how his players react to their sojourn with their various national teams.
On the positive side, none of Lacazette or Aubaeyang will represent their national teams. Lacazette pulled out of the french national team just hours after being called up, citing injury concerns while Aubameyang's spat with the Gabonese FA is most likely why he was not called up this time.
Arsenal current injury table
This is according to the physios report on Arsenal.com
Danny Welbeck
On Monday, November 12, Arsenal issued the following statement:-
Further to sustaining an injury last Thursday against Sporting CP, Danny has undergone a second planned operation on his right ankle.
Both procedures went well, without complications. Danny will now recuperate and start his rehabilitation. It’s too early to say how long this will take.
Everyone at the club will now be providing Danny with the best possible treatment and support in order to make him fit again as soon as possible.
Impact of Danny Welbeck's injury on the team
While Arsenal fans may not see Welbeck as that prolific striker, his impact off the bench this season cannot be overlooked. The implication of Danny's injury means that the gunners have only two recognized strikers in Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and they cannot afford any injuries to either of them.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
Right hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers (h) on Sunday, November 11
The extent of the Swiss international injury is still yet unknown, but there is available cover up in the right back position for Arsenal. Hector Bellerin and Maitland Niles can easily slot in.
Konstantinos Mavropanos
“Groin injury. Expected to return to full training in November.”
This is a player who showed lots of promise when he played for Arsenal last season and most Arsenal fans cannot wait to see him back in the club's colours.
Laurent Koscielny
“Right Achilles tendon repair. Currently being integrated back into full training.”
Arsenal have missed the services of their No. 1 captain. His impact has been sorely missed.
It looks very likely that Arsenal could have Laurent Koscielny back after the international break in what could be a major boost for the gunners backline. Unai Emery was quoted as saying.
He feels better in each training,” “He is close to being with us for competitive game.
“We are happy with him. ‘He is with us every day and we are going to think after the international break how we continue working and playing games.”
However, there was sad news about Danny Welbeck who has undergone two major operations to his broken ankle injury he sustained in the Europa league game.
Another yet worrying trend is the continued absence of Nacho Monreal who is arguably Arsenal's best left back in the present squad. Although he has returned to light training, it is still unclear why he did not even make the matchday squad leaving doubt about the kind of injury he is suffering from.
Sead Kolasinac has not particularly covered himself in glory in recent matches he has played for the gunners, so no doubt Monreal is sorely needed to bring that balance to the team.
Alexander Lacazette has also pulled out from the national team due to Injury concerns. Hopefully, the injury table of the gunners will look slimmer once the international break is over.
