Could Arsenal's Returning Players Be More Detrimental Than Beneficial?
With 2014/15's final stretch of games now upon us, clubs receiving positive news on the injury front should be welcomed with open arms. The more bodies at a club's disposal, the easier they can cope with demands from game to game, week to week and/or competition to competition.
Arsenal expect such news before their next Premier League fixture, as Jack Wilshere (ankle), Mikel Arteta (ankle/calf) and Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder)—per the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel—appear "set to face Liverpool" on April 4, after the international break reaches its conclusion.
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Another in a laundry list of wounded Gunners, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring) could make an appearance versus the Reds but looks more likely to return April 11 against Burnley.
While the north London club should feel fantastic about the added depth they will receive, Arsene Wenger—simply by the maths—now possesses greater odds of arresting Arsenal's momentum. The Frenchman has been expert in his selections for three months, albeit with reduced options, but the arrival of Wilshere, Arteta and Debuchy could clog the works.
Taking 27 of the last 30 EPL points on offer—with a goal difference of 18—Wenger's side is without question the Premier League's form team. Doing anything to disrupt the chemistry and flow his current collective have developed would be tantamount to idiocy.
Francis Coquelin has been an outstanding contributor to the Gunners' team balance since his January inclusion. Lending his defensive team-mates cover and offensive team-mates an outlet, the French defensive midfielder has taken his starting shirt with great aplomb.
Wenger choosing Arteta against Liverpool, for instance, would be a significant gamble first considering the high-octane nature of the fixture, but second and more importantly could dent his up-and-coming 23-year-old's confidence.
Perhaps the chief cog in Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad, Coquelin should have the trust of his manager with massive fixtures on the horizon.
Debuchy, bought for £12 million in the 2014 summer window from Newcastle United, has only made 10 appearances in the Premier League for his new club this season—largely due to a series of injuries.
Ironically, those setbacks have given 20-year-olds Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin opportunities to play at the Frenchman's preferred right-back; the two youngsters—especially Bellerin—now stand between Debuchy and the starting XI.
Easing in the 29-year-old should be the preferred course of action; with eight matches left to parse and the young defenders playing well—there seems little reason to risk ruining Debuchy's offseason without great impetus.
Were one to list players with high ceilings who cannot seem to stay healthy for prolonged periods, Wilshere would be nearer the top. Arsenal's youngest-ever debutant at 16, the now-23-year-old (after five top-flight campaigns) has only played over 30 games in a Premier League season once.
Recovering full fitness post ankle surgery, expecting Wilshere to immediately aid the north Londoners in their top-four/championship quest is slightly premature.
Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey have made advanced midfield their mission since January 1, and the results have seen Arsenal climb from sixth position to a relatively comfortable third. Inserting Wilshere above those driving Arsenal's lustrous form is begging for an untoward result.
In an attempt to show good faith, Wenger must balance his team's ambitions with giving players first-team minutes. Still in the FA Cup—playing Reading on April 18—chances should exist for select fringe and recovering players at Wembley, but the Gunners cannot afford to tinker with a working machine until it breaks.
On Manchester City's heels in second place, and playing league-leading Chelsea at the Emirates, Arsenal have everything to play for in the Premier League with eight games remaining.
Allowing sentiment or meticulous over-thinking to derail logical, sound decision-making is the hurdle Wenger must navigate if his club have any hope of tracking down/overtaking the holders and champions-elect.
This process begins and ends with keeping those delivering stellar performances on the pitch—using Wilshere, Debuchy and Arteta sparingly as the "break glass in case of emergency" back-up plan all clubs need when campaigns begin to close.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase.com where not noted.
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