A Bit Of Good Injury News For Arsenal Fans

There has been precious little good news for most Arsenal fans since the season started. While the club’s season has threatened to unravel before it even began, the injury situation at the club has also added to the lack of fluency that was the hallmark of previous Arsenal teams. However, some measure of good news has emerged out of the many injuries that have plagued the club.

The first has to do with Abou Diaby. The French midfielder has only featured just once this season, that is against Southampton in the Capital One Cup. At other times he made the bench against Aston Villa in the Premier League. Other than that, he has been out for most of this season with hip and thigh injuries respectively. With claims that his body suffers from reactions anytime he takes to the field as a result of his long spell out with injuries.

The issue got to a head a couple of days ago following reports that he was facing three months out with a hamstring injury. It was a claim that was quickly dismissed by the club. The fact that the club was quick to dismiss the media reports means he could be making his way back to fitness. The good news is wrapped in the fact that Abou Diaby is not facing another long time out injured.

Yet what constitutes good news in respect of the injuries that have plagued Abou Diaby for years would differ from what is good news to others. The Frenchman has endured a torrid time with injuries that few would ascribe just anything that is not injury related to him as good news.

Secondly, this particular one would split opinions as regards whether it is good news or not. The club’s former captain Thomas Vermaelen left for Barcelona in the summer. So far he has yet to feature for the Catalans since he was signed, having been continuously plagued by injuries. His last season with Arsenal was interspersed with injuries.

Now the good news here is that Arsenal’s sales of Vermaelen to Barcelona for a fee of £15 million was a good piece of business because of his injury record, and that if he had remained with Arsenal he would have been currently out injured just as he is presently side-lined with Barcelona.

The 28 year old has been linked to Jonathan Woodgate in some sections of the Spanish press. The former Middlebrough defender was injured throughout his stay with Real Madrid, as a result, the Catalan press has compared Thomas Vermaelen’s situation to that of Woodgate.

It is difficult to arrive at a conclusion whether Thomas Vermaelen’s current situation at Barcelona constitute good news to Arsenal in anyway. The gap created by the Belgian’s departure has not been filled, and the defence of the team has been repeatedly exposed as a result.

Another thing is whether he would have stayed fit during this period that Arsenal are short of defenders is only open to conjectures. That he is currently side-lined at Barcelona is pure coincidence and not a sense of good fortune to Arsenal in anyway or form.