If Arsenal are going to survive a very busy Christmas period they will have to do it without full-back Andre Santos, who suffered a bad ankle injury in the Champions League loss to Olympiacos on Tuesday night.
Arsene Wenger didn’t play many regulars in the meaningless game against the Greeks, but one of the ones that did play was Santos and he got hurt.
Wenger said:
‘Santos suffered a bad ankle injury. He looks like he’ll be out for a while.’
The loss of Santos really hurts Arsenal because they are already without left-back Kieran Gibbs, who has been out since November. Right-backs Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson are also out injured. The Gunners will be hoping Lukasz Fabianski is okay as he suffered a bad cut on his knee in the loss to Olympiacos.
The Polish goalkeeper said:
‘I think I am fine, it’s just a really deep cut.’
Arsenal had already advanced to the knockout round of the Champions League so the loss against Olympiakos meant nothing. Arsenal also have to be feeling pretty good since they are moving on, while both Manchester City and Manchester United are out.
Six Matches in 24 Days
There is nothing like a busy schedule to test the depth of a team and Arsenal are about to get a severe test with six matches in a period of 24 days. It all begins on Saturday with Arsenal favoured in English League betting action as they host Everton. The game on Saturday should be a win for Arsenal as they host Everton. It is a special one for Arsenal, as this week the club is celebrating their 125th anniversary.
Transfer Targets
With the January transfer window fast approaching there are many rumours out there surrounding potential transfer targets for Arsenal. The club really want to get Borussia Dortmund’s midfielder Mario Gotze. However, It is unclear whether Dortmund will let him go even if Arsenal offer £25 million or more. Gotze has said he would like to play for Arsenal or Barcelona in the future, but whether he gets the chance is yet to be determined. Arsenal would also like to add Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou to their squad, but they are not alone in wanting Kalou. Arsenal could sure use a backup to captain Robin van Persie as it has been proven that without him in the lineup, Arsenal’s offence is non-existent. Arsenal also are said to be targeting Lyon’s Yoann Gourcuff and he could be a much cheaper alternative to either Gotze or Kalou.
