ARSENAL INJURY WOES WORSENS

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger hunts new striker
as injured Theo Walcott faces a month on sidelines
Manager admits doing deal in midseason will be
tough with winger to undergo scan on knee injury
but likely to avoid punishment for 2-0 gesture at
Tottenham fans.


Arsenal ’s need to sign another striker intensified
on Sunday amid fears that Theo Walcott will be out
for the next month with knee ligament damage.
Walcott, who will almost certainly escape
disciplinary action for his 2-0 gesture to the
Tottenham Hotspur fans during Saturday’s north
London derby, was carried off on a stretcher and
the first assessment on his knee injury on Sunday
was not encouraging.

Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, had hoped
that Walcott had suffered only “a kick” but the initial
indications are of a strained knee ligament.
A scan will be undertaken on Monday before that
diagnosis can be confirmed but, if it does show the
suspected ligament damage, Walcott would be out
for around four weeks.
Nicklas Bendtner, another option as a striker, has
also been ruled out for a month but Wenger is
confident that Olivier Giroud will have recovered
from both an ankle injury and illness in time for
Arsenal’s match against Aston Villa next Monday.

Even with all his options fully fit, Wenger had been
actively exploring the January transfer market for
strikers but believes that it will be extremely difficult
for him to add a player who can improve his squad.
Arsenal are interested in taking Álvaro Morata on
loan from Real Madrid but their manager, Carlo
Ancelotti, is opposed to the deal. Another option is
Atlético Madrid’s Diego Costa but, again, that would
be a very difficult signing to complete in January.
Atlético are still in the Champions League and
mounting a serious challenge to Barcelona in La
Liga, where Costa is surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo
as the league’s top scorer.
“All the big players are at big clubs at the moment
and they go for important targets,” explained
Wenger. “Unless you have a club in a desperate
financial situation it will be difficult or if we find
someone like [Serge] Gnabry at that age when no
one knows them.”
Bayern Munich announced the signing on Saturday
of Robert Lewandowski from Borussia Dortmund on
a free transfer at the end of the season and Wenger
admitted that he had previously made an inquiry
about the Poland striker.
Even though they have a replacement on his way,
Wenger knows that Bayern Munich will not let Mario
Mandzukic leave this month.
“We looked into it but honestly he [Lewandowski]
signed 1½ years ago,” said Wenger. “Lewandowski
is at Dortmund until the end of the season and
Bayern will not sell Mandzukic now. Maybe at the
end of the season.”
The Arsenal captain, Thomas Vermaelen, will also
undergo a knee scan on Monday amid fears that he
too has damaged a ligament.
A positive for Arsenal following Saturday’s win over
Tottenham, that was sealed with goals from Santi
Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, is that the Football
Association is highly unlikely to launch formal
disciplinary action for Walcott’s gesture to the
Spurs fans as he left the pitch.
Wenger pointed out how Walcott had not acted
aggressively and was responding to coins and
other missiles being thrown. Walcott’s behaviour,
however, did clearly further antagonise the visiting
fans and the England winger can expect a letter
from the FA that reminds him of his responsibilities.
An FA investigation is likely into the reaction of the
Tottenham fans and Spurs could conceivably be
fined although the Metropolitan Police will first be
consulted. The FA is also awaiting the report of
referee Mark Clattenburg before deciding whether
off-the-ball incidents involving Nabil Bentaleb and
Mousa Dembélé merit further action.
Arsenal lost Jack Wilshere to a two-game
suspension for his one-finger gesture to
Manchester City fans last month but he believes
that Walcott will become “a legend” in the eyes of
Arsenal fans for his “banter” with the Spurs
supporters.
“We know these games are massive for the fans
and we always seem to come out on top at the
Emirates,” said Wilshere. “We’ve got something
above them. I think they were giving Theo a bit of
stick. He’s a bit smarter than me, I suppose.
"He’ll be an Arsenal legend now. They were giving it
to him and he’s given a little bit back. I think
people have got to look at it as banter. The Arsenal
fans will love that. They love Theo already and this
is only going to help him.”

Wilshere also came off during Saturday’s match but
is confident that his bruised ankle will be fully
healed before the trip to Villa Park.
Tim Sherwood, the Tottenham manager, is facing
his own injury concerns, with Andros Townsend
and Jermain Defoe expected back within “one or
two” weeks. A return date for Erik Lamela is less
clear but Sherwood is confident that Roberto
Soldado will quickly recover from the sore calf that
forced him off at Arsenal.
Sherwood was also defensive over the suggestion
he had played a 4-4-2 system that caused his team
to be overrun in central midfield.
“I didn’t see us playing 4-4-2,” he said. “We just
had 11 numbers on the field and tried to rotate and
fill up every area of the field. Manchester United
have been playing your 4-4-2 and won everything
for the last 10 years.”

Wenger’s striker options
Olivier Giroud
Preferred centre-forward and due back from illness
and an ankle injury in time to face Aston Villa next
Monday.

Nicklas Bendtner
Scorer of important goals against Hull and Cardiff
but now out for four weeks with ankle injury.

Theo Walcott
Impressive against Spurs until carried off. Could be
out for four weeks.

Lukas Podolski
Just back after three months out. Wenger regards
him as better suited to cutting in from the left.

Yaya Sanogo
Signed on free transfer in summer. Back injury has
sidelined him.

Ju-Young Park
Has played just eight minutes in the Premier
League for Arsenal since arriving from Monaco in
2012.

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk