Aaron Ramsey Must Find Form to Make Up for Jack Wilshere Injury at Arsenal
With Jack Wilshere suffering yet another injury blow this month, fellow midfielder Aaron Ramsey must find his devastating form from last season to make up for the loss of his Arsenal colleague.
The England man suffered ankle ligament damage after a challenge in the Gunners' 2-1 loss at home to Manchester United, and the initial prognosis has extended, according to manager Arsene Wenger.
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Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph quotes Wenger as claiming "It does not look good...It is so sad because he just came back and had found his mobility. I hope it will not be surgery, just in a boot, but it will be a few weeks."
However, Wilson suggests that, if Wilshere faces surgery, he could be set for "three months out."
This is yet another injury blow for Arsenal, who are struggling in the Premier League this season, and the pain only grows stronger after captain Mikel Arteta suffered calf damage in the side's 2-0 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night.
The bright spark that must emerge in this darkness is Ramsey, a player whose form was so integral to last season's top-four finish.
After a layoff of his own, Ramsey believes he is returning to full fitness—ironically this came as Wilshere suffered his blow at the Emirates Stadium.
The Welsh midfielder must capitalise on his growing importance in light of injuries to Wilshere and Arteta and rediscover the form that made him so formidable last season.
Jack Wilshere
In now-typical fashion, just as Wilshere was picking up form, the Arsenal midfielder has once more picked up an injury; the 22-year-old's career so far has seen his promise blighted.
This latest injury is on the opposite ankle to the one which has so troubled Wilshere, but between blows to both, the midfielder could have missed 112 weeks for Arsenal on his return, according to the Daily Mail.
Wilshere's total injuries amount to 40 per cent of his career so far, and the midfielder has made just 95 league appearances in five years.
This is a major disappointment given the way Wilshere has flourished as this season has progressed.
At Arsenal, this is in his ability to keep the ball moving fluidly in midfield, and his ability to dictate the speed with which moves develop.
However, it is in an England shirt that Wilshere has particularly excelled of late and, in this role at the base of Roy Hodgson's midfield diamond, he looked to have become a more seasoned and mature performer, with his range of passing particularly outstanding.
Wenger believes his most cherished prospect is best served elsewhere, however, with Wilshere recently claiming, per The Telegraph, "I wouldn’t mind to play the holding role for Arsenal. [But] that’s the manager’s decision."
Such is Wilshere's return to form, and evident development, underlined how the midfielder would be crucial for the Gunners in either role—a reality hampered by this recent injury.
Aaron Ramsey of 2013/14
This season's muted form is a surprise given the emphatic rise of Ramsey in the Premier League last season.
Ramsey scored 10 goals and made eight assists in 23 league games, with a commendable array of strikes outlining his all-round ability.
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira outlined, per The Independent, how Ramsey was "the most consistent player in the Premier League."
The former captain continued, "At the start of the season [before injury] he was fantastic because of the number of goals he scored from midfield, but also the number of goals he created...The ability has always been there and I’m pleased he is now showing what he is capable of."
Despite being hampered with injury once more, Ramsey was nominated for the 2013/14 PFA Young Player of the Year Award and was undoubtedly the Gunners' most important player.
However, this season the midfielder has registered just two goals and one assist in 11 league games.
Against Dortmund on Wednesday night, Ramsey looked to be displaying the qualities that made him such a devastating force last season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis Sanchez and Yaya Sanogo will rightfully take the plaudits, but Ramsey performed admirably in the centre of midfield and provided Arsenal with some much-needed thrust on a night where Wenger's side vindicated his recently criticised tactical approach.
Interestingly, this may be due to Ramsey being free of the shackles imposed by Wilshere in Wenger's favoured role—arguably, the pair have never truly contributed equally when deployed together.
Finding Form
In order to counter Arsenal's poor form of late, Ramsey told Sky Sports before the Champions League victory, "It's important to stick together as a team. We know all about each other, we know what we have to do and now we just have to show it on the pitch."
In turn, Ramsey knows individually what he must do, after such an impressive rise last season, and now must show it on the pitch.
One key to the midfielder rediscovering his form is the return of Olivier Giroud from injury.
The two enjoyed a fruitful partnership last season, with Ramsey's 10 goals complemented by a further 16 from the French international.
With Giroud deployed as a target man for Wenger's side, Ramsey's ability to time his runs into the box served as the perfect foil for the striker's hold-up play.
Giroud's goal in the loss to United outlined his enduring importance to the side, and the No. 12 should return to the first-team fold in due course. Wenger's assertion, per The Guardian, that Danny Welbeck "looks comfortable" in a left-wing role fuels this.
The return of Giroud is timely, offering Wenger a change of shape and a shifting of personnel, and Ramsey must benefit from this.
Arsenal could line up with Ramsey behind Giroud, and Welbeck and Sanchez on either flank—although whether this is Sanchez's best position is debatable, and the presence of Santi Cazorla will provide Wenger with a selection headache.
Wilshere's loss will be felt immensely by Wenger, and this is compounded even further by Arteta's upcoming layoff.
Aaron Ramsey clearly has the quality to lift Arsenal following the loss of Jack Wilshere to injury, and with the midfielder growing in confidence after his own fitness issues, now is the perfect time to prove his credentials once more.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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