Arsenal FC: Injury Updates and Rumors Abound as They Push for the Title

Amidst the terrible news flowing around Arsenal football club regarding competition losses and serious injuries to key players comes some surprising good news.

It has been reported that Arsenal center back Johan Djourou, who suffered what appeared to be a serious shoulder injuring during the FA Cup semifinal loss at Old Trafford on the weekend , will not be out of action for the rest of the season as originally reported.

Instead, according to the Swiss FA, he should be back in action for Arsenal within two weeks.

The Swiss FA released a statement saying the injury is ‘less serious than feared’ and that the coaching set-up were making every effort to have Djourou fit in time for Switzerland’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria. 

The statement reveals Djourou didn’t suffer any fractures in the collision, and that the strained ligaments weren’t as bad as originally thought.

Considering the fact that Arsenal were looking at finishing the remainder of the season without their best center back, this is fantastic news. Many fans’ hopes of Arsenal clenching the Premier League title this season had taken a serious hit when Djourou was carried off of the pitch on Saturday. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger even announced dejectedly that Djourou’s season was over.

Arsenal have responded, though, claiming the Swiss FA reports are 'inaccurate', and club sources are still expecting Djourou to miss the rest of the season. You never know, though; remember when Robin van Persie was supposed to not be fit enough to play against Barcelona? I don’t mean to get anyone’s hopes up, but mine are.

The news of an early, or earlier than expected, return for the center back will surely be a lift for Arsenal fans and the whole team, as they are very close to ending their six-year title drought.

In other Arsenal player related news, it appears as though early speculations were correct and that retired Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will be coming out of retirement to act as an emergency loan player in the absence of Polish shot-stoppers Szczesny and Fabianski who are both injured.

Some fans feel that Lehmann’s return to Arsenal is just what they need for the final title push. But as many of us can remember, the relationship between current goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and Lehmann is anything but cordial.

If Lehmann should come on as a replacement No. 1 in place of Almunia, it could cause more harm than good internally. Really, the purpose of this signing is as a back up, because Arsenal currently have only one fit keeper, Almunia.

It just isn’t wise for a club, especially one with injury troubles like Arsenal, to continue with only one keeper for any period of time. Remember this http://bleacherreport.com/articles/633130-arsenals-ever-changing-goalkeeping-situation-szczesny-out-almunia-back-in?

I wrote it a little soon, didn’t I?