Jack Wilshere was sent off for Arsenal at the weekend as they suffered their third league defeat of the season. Is it all bad news for the club?
A player getting sent off and being suspended is bad news, right? Usually, pretty much. Except in this case there may be a few positives Arsenal can gleam from their defeat.
Wilshere gets a rest
It may only be a one game break, but the suspension gives Wilshere time off to re-stock his energy. It is especially the case as the youngster could be called upon even from a bench role against Schalke in midweek in the Champions League. The midfielder may be itching to play as much as possible right now but a break after two games in two weeks truly will be no bad thing after such a long lay off. Muscle injuries are often sustained by players recovering from long-term injuries, and taking his comeback slowly but surely is the right attitude. The game he will miss is a home game against Fulham, which is no easy tie, but Arsenal would hope to muster up enough without him to claim the three points, and have him fresher for the North London Derby a week later. The alternate view is that Wilshere needs game time, but they can do this in the Champions League or an under-21 match if they are desperate to do so.
Wilshere learns a lesson
The red is a reminder to Wilshere as to his limitations in terms of fitness and fatigue. It was clear that as the game went on at Old Trafford he was becoming more or a peripheral figure. He caught Patrice Evra because he was ever so slightly late to the tackle. Had he been fully fit and less fatigued he may well have won the ball. All these little things are crucial to players as they feel their ways back from injury, and he now knows just how much he has to improve his fitness over the fortnight before his next Premier League game.
Arsene Wenger is forced to look for other solutions
Arsene Wenger surely would not have liked to throw Wilshere into such a high profile game so soon as he did. Had Abou Diaby been available the Frenchman would have been more likely to start, and the same goes for Tomas Rosicky. As it is, neither are, and Wenger has to find another solution against Fulham. This can only be a good thing going forward, as the manager cannot rely on Wilshere to start week in week out between now and the New Year; he will know if he does overplay the Englishman he will leave him open to injury once again.
So what are his options? The Spanish duo of Cazorla and Arteta are assured starters, but beyond that injuries mean the Gunners are down to the choice of Aaron Ramsey or promoting Thomas Eisfeld. Both have upsides. Bringing Ramsey into the central midfield spot is great in that it means the Welshman will not be bemusingly picked at right wing. Theo Walcott deserves a chance to start on the right and Saturday can be his chance. The other option of bringing in Eisfeld is attractive thanks to his superb showing in the Capital One Cup when he came on, and a home game with Fulham might be an ideal chance to bring him in. If either work, Arsenal have found a solid new option to cover for the games Wilshere is rested for.
Do you agree Arsenal can benefit from the suspension?
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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