Arsenal Suffer Major Injury Blow Ahead of Southampton Clash.

Arsenal will visit Southampton on New Year Day. Arsene Wenger’s men will be going into that game hoping to clinch fourth spot.

Ahead of the crucial encounter, Wenger has revealed the fitness level of his squad. It is quite unfortunate that we have got some bad news rolling in.

Injuries has been an integral part of Arsenal this season for there is hardly any game in which one problem or the other is not being recorded. As we speak, another first team player has joined the already lengthy injury list and it’s no other than Danny Welbeck.

Welbeck who scored the Gunners second in a 2-1 win over Westham United on Sunday is short for the trip to Southampton as scans have revealed he has a concern with his thigh. No date has been given for the English international’s comeback.

Elsewhere, Aaron Ramsey whose last game came in the Champions League against Galatasaray will be missing out too. January 1 was the initial return date given for the Welshman who is nursing a hamstring injury but it seems the Arsenal boss has made amends to this. The manager stated during his pre-match Press Conference that even though Rambo has not suffered a setback, a return on Thursday may be a sort of costly gamble. He is a kind of player who enough care has to be given to when it comes to injury matters considering how often he gets sidelined.

In Ramsey’s absence, we should expect to see a clone of the side that faced Westham with the only difference being the inclusion of Tomas Rosicky. The veteran midfielder was rested in the Gunner’s last game so he should be well refreshed to assist them to victory tomorrow just as he did against Queens Park Rangers last week.

Theo Walcott has a chance to start tomorrow. He has been an unused substitute in Arsenal’s last three matches and the manager has revealed that although he is ready fitnesswise, he still lack competitiveness. A comeback against his former side can help Arsenal stroll out with all three points come January 1

Olivier Giroud serves his second ban against Southampton and since Danny Welbeck is also not fit to play, many have in their predictions stated that Wenger will definitely start Yaya Sanogo ahead of Lukas Podolski. I will not be surprised to see him do such a thing and to be frank I would frown at that. What more does the German need to do to get adequate playtime? Does Wenger want him to score fifteen goals in a single game before adjudging him a good player?