By Fab4.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger gave an injury update today ahead of the visit of Manchester City to the Emirates on Saturday.
The only real positive news is that midfielder Alex Song could return after missing the last three games with a knee problem, but he will face a fitness test on Friday. However, Andrey Arshavin, Manuel Almunia and Denilson are all still out.
“Maybe Song [could be off the injury list],” Wenger told TV Online on Thursday. “He has a test tomorrow and we’ll see. He is a question mark.
“Apart from that, nobody is back. Andrey Arshavin is out. Everyone else – Gallas, Almunia, Denilson – is still out too.”
Arsenal are really down to the bare bones and i hope Craig Eastmond will continue as the holding midfielder against City regardless of whether Song returns or not. For two reasons, one being that i thought Eastmond did very well against Wigan, and two, that i think if Song is fit he should play at the back alongside Campbell.
It seems as though with Almunia still out, Flapianski will have to continue in goal.
Arsene Wenger also gave an update on long-term injury victims Kieran Gibbs and Johan Djourou, with both getting closer to returning to fitness, although Arsene believes only Djourou has a realistic chance of playing again this season.
“Djourou has a little chance,” he said. “But Gibbs will be very short.”
It’s a real shame for both these promising young defenders that in a year when Arsenal have been hit by so many injuries, that they weren’t about to take their chance. I am a fan of both Gibbs and Djourou and hopefully they will come back stronger next year and push for first team places.
