Search icon

Football

13th Feb 2018

Lacazette’s injury has Arsenal fans really worried

Their attacking options are very thin

Reuben Pinder

Aubameyang is fit, but there is still one major issue.

Arsenal’s winter transfer business had a lot of fans excited, but it also had a lot of people questioning how the new recruits would play alongside Mesut Özil and Alexandre Lacazette.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is now Arsenal’s first choice striker and has pushed summer signing Alexandre Lacazette to the bench and restricted his starting opportunities to the cups and Europa League, of which Arsenal are still competing in only the latter.

Lacazette picked up a knee injury playing against Tottenham on Saturday, when he came off the bench and almost snatched but couldn’t finish his chances.

With the arrival of Aubameyang, the injury that Lacazette sustained against Tottenham during Saturday’s north London derby wouldn’t normally seem like cause for concern, but Arsenal fans are worried about what effect his absence will have on their chances of winning the Europa League.

Realistically, winning the Europa League is Arsenal’s best chance of qualifying for the Champions League, as it was for Manchester United last season.

With the Europa League carrying more significance for Arsenal in the final few months of the season, Aubameyang would likely be Wenger’s first choice but he is ineligible due to the fact he has played for Borussia Dortmund in Europe already this season.

So with Aubameyang ineligible and Lacazette injured, that leaves Danny Welbeck as Arsenal’s only fit striker to play in the Europa League. Welbeck has talent but he is not exactly renowned for his goalscoring, which is quite important for strikers.

Arsenal fans are therefore quite concerned that their chances of Europa League victory have been significantly reduced, which could mean no Champions League football for them next season.

https://twitter.com/mikesanz19/status/963419516331061248

https://twitter.com/ltarsenal/status/963415194079645696

https://twitter.com/marcazette/status/963418664245645313

https://twitter.com/_AdamKeys/status/963425267199995906

https://twitter.com/maddghost/status/963430111486861312

Some fans are calling for 18-year-old Eddie Nketiah to be given a chance up top instead of Welbeck, while others have suggested playing Aaron Ramsey out of position as a false 9.

It’s unlikely that Wenger will play Ramsey in that role but he will be relying on the Welshman for goals in the tournament. As mentioned before, Welbeck is not a striker to be relied upon for guaranteed goals, despite his other athletic qualities.

Arsenal take on Swedish side Östersunds FK in the first leg of their Round of 32 tie on Thursday at 6pm.