Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has tipped Wojciech Szczesny to win his place back in the Arsenal side in the next few weeks.
Jamie Carragher wrote in his Sky Sports blog that he believes ‘first choice’ goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will win his place back in the Arsenal team over the next few weeks, but he expects David Ospina to start this weekend.
Last week, the Guardian reported that after a poor performance against Southampton on New Year’s Day, the Polish goalkeeper proceeded to smoke a cigarette in the showers after the game and was hit by a fairly heavy £20,000 fine. Since then, he hasn’t started a game.
The 24-year-old wasn’t named in the match-day squad when Arsenal went head-to-head with Hull City in the FA Cup and was given nothing more than a space on the bench in the following Premier League match against Stoke City. Although, with two wins and two clean sheets on the spin, he can have few complaints if he is named on the bench once again at the weekend.
Nevertheless, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes it will only be a matter of time before the Polish goalkeeper makes a return in Arsene Wenger’s team selection.
”I think Ospina will keep his slot this weekend,” Carragher told Sky Sports. ”Wenger said he took Szczesny out after the poor game at Southampton because he needed a rest, not just physically but mentally.
“He [Ospina] wasn’t troubled too much last week so I think Wenger will stick with him and take Szczesny out of the firing line for a few weeks. As a defender you would like to have the same person behind you all the time but if Szczesny is playing poorly and another ‘keeper comes in and is playing well you have to go with that.
”But I imagine at some stage over the next few weeks Szczesny will get his place back because I think Wenger still sees him as his No 1. He is just giving him a bit of a breather.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
