Arsene Wenger faces a selection dilemma ahead of this weekend’s big match with Sunderland.
We tend to ask the same question each week, will Wenger rest his star man or continue to expect miracles from him?
The problem for Arsenal is, back-up strikers Chamakh and Park have failed to show why they deserve a chance, and with Thierry Henry now departed, they have one less option, although Gervinho has now returned.
However at some stage, Wenger must decide to leave his star man on the bench.
With the Dutchman’s injury record, his manager is leaving him open to pulling a muscle or worse, by failing to give him rest time between games.
We saw it in 2009 with Rafa Benitez and Fernando Torres.
At this stage of the season, the magnitude of the games increase week by week, and each match throws up a new selection dilemma.
At Liverpool, Benitez had only David Ngog as an alternative to the Spaniard, who was already nursing calf trouble. Since around this time, Torres’ has never looked the same player, and you wonder if he had been managed properly in this period whether his decline could have been prevented.
Back to Arsenal, their Champions League battering by Milan leaves them very much reliant on the FA Cup as their only trophy they have a chance of winning.
Wenger will know supporters will not enjoy a seventh successive season without a trophy, and Saturday’s cup-tie at the Stadium of Light suddenly takes on new meaning.
So that being said, despite the arduous midweek trip to Italy, surely it would be foolish for Wenger not to play his strongest team.
The manager is already under criticism for not playing Oxlade-Chamberlain in Milan from some fans, and if he leaves van Persie on the bench and Arsenal lose, calls for his head will grow considerably.
So as much as he may wish to give his star player a rest, he may not have a choice.
Failure to sign a striker in the transfer window makes this a dilemma of Wenger’s own making.
Would you pick van Persie tomorrow, can Arsenal afford not to?
image: © cactusbeetroot
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