Injuries Open New Selection Opportunities For Arsenal

As if the Arsenal physios weren't busy enough trying to nurse Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky back to full health; now they've got the task of tending to Robin van Persie and William Gallas.

Van Persie's injury is no surprise. As a matter of fact, it was during this exact international break last year that Arsenal lost the talented Dutchman to injury. Déjà vu? Definitely.

Captain William Gallas has also fallen to injury, suffering a tear to his right thigh which may rule him out against Everton on the 18th of October.

Gallas has never been injury-prone, but this injury may prove to be a hidden boon to Arsenal. 

Willie has gotten a lot of stick from Arsenal fans from his lack of leadership and his apparent inability to challenge for a ball in the air. This spell on the sidelines will give Arsene Wenger a chance to slot a taller, stronger defender into the central defense next to Kolo Toure and see how it works.

Last season, when Toure was off to the African Cup of Nations, Gallas thrived with the taller Senderos at his side. Toure is a very similar player to Gallas. Perhaps giving Johann Djourou or even new-boy Mikael Silvestre a run next to Toure may reap some defensive rewards.

Replacing Robin van Persie will be a tougher task than selecting an interim central defender to deputise for the skipper. Wenger has such a wealth of attacking options, with the powerful Nicklas Bendtner the more likely to get the nod and play in place of van Persie.

But one can't forget Carlos Vela. The Mexican wonderkid has shown why Wenger went through so much trouble to secure him. A marvelous hat-trick against Sheffield United and a brilliant cameo during Arsenal's 3-0 win at St. James' Park may be enough to convince Wenger that the boy is ready to start. Most fans are relishing the privilege to see him start and it is definitely a possibility.

Even Walcott can be played up front with Emmanuel Adebayor now that Samir Nasri is fully fit. One can only wonder what Arsene Wenger has up his sleeve.

The final, and arguably the most daunting task facing the Arsenal manager in the face of these injury problems is the decision concerning the skipper's armband. Who will be chosen to lead the Gunners in Gallas' absence?

Kolo Toure is the more likely to receive the interim captainship, but most fans will be begging for the club's talismanic midfielder Cesc Fabregas to step up to the plate and lead the club he so loves. He's a sure candidate for the future and perhaps giving him the captaincy will help him rediscover his form, which he has slightly lost, mostly due to fatigue from a grueling European Championship win. 

It is beyond doubt that we will miss Robin van Persie and William Gallas; no matter what one has to say on the latter, he is still a great defender on the ground.

However, replacing him with a taller, more powerful defender may complement the pace of Kolo Toure. With van Persie's injury, Arsenal are more prepared than last year. Though Bendtner has more Premier League experience, don't count out Vela yet. He and Adebayor can forge a great tall striker-small striker partnership a la Owen-Heskey.

And of course, the captain's armband. The only realistic choices for it have to be Cesc Fabregas and Kolo Toure. If Wenger opts to use Silvestre as Gallas' replacement, he may receive it due to his invaluable experience  in the Premiership and Europe.

All in all, Arsenal will not be killed by injuries this time around; the depth in the squad is much better than it was last year.

So what do you think? Who should fill in for Gallas in defence and as captain? Is it Bendtner or Vela?