Good morning. A quick recap of Saturday for you.
I wrote earlier in the week about Emile Smith Rowe and the injury issues he has been dealing with this season. It’s been frustrating for him, I’m sure, and disappointing for us because he contributed so much last season until injury problems crept in and restricted his playing time.
Mikel Arteta is not one to give away much when it comes to the fitness of his players, and yesterday he was the same as always when he spoke about the Smith Rowe situation. He said:
It has been an ongoing problem that you have had. Unfortunately, he has had some discomfort in the groin area. He hasn’t had continuity this season and it’s something we’re trying to assess and trying to help him in any way we can because we need him fit, we need him available and we need him performing at his best. level, because he is a very important player for us. Unfortunately, for this period and periods last year, we haven’t had it.
I wonder what ‘help him as much as possible in any way we can’ really means. It’s so vague that it could include physio, rehab, rest, all of that, but it doesn’t exclude other things. It may not indicate that this is more serious than we think, but it does not rule it out either.
In The Athletic, James reports: “He is experiencing growth-related groin pain.
“Although this is not classified as an ‘injury’ per se, Smith Rowe’s situation requires careful handling. He will not be in a hurry. Although there is no deadline for his return, the club and the player’s entourage do not believe that this situation will result in a prolonged absence. They also don’t think it will affect his bid for a World Cup place.”
I can’t complain about the ambition, but I would say that their chances of reaching the World Cup are very slim at the moment. To do so, I’d have to be back up and running flat out immediately after Interlull as we head into that hectic October schedule. Obviously I hope that happens, but the vagueness around the issue leaves me worried that it’s available and then ready to hit that level so quickly.
Thinking about the team this season, even with Smith Rowe in form, I totally agreed with the manager’s desire to have more firepower before the end of the window. Without him we don’t have the depth on the left side that I thought we would have, with him and Gabriel Martinelli competing and covering. So far it hasn’t been a big problem because Martinelli has played very well, but he can’t play every game and there isn’t a natural alternative in the squad. Not to mention the fact that we are missing a player who scored 10 Premier League goals last season.
It’s certainly a concern, but time will tell how big. Hopefully he can get back in shape by October, because we absolutely need all hands on deck.
His absence might require an opportunity for someone else, and after a brilliant Europa League debut, Arteta was asked about Marquinhos’ summer signing:
It was a big step for him because he hasn’t played enough minutes with us, but we were willing to give him the chance. I think he deserved it, I think he took it very well and he is a player who needs to continue developing and for that we need to give him opportunities.
When our interest in it was announced, Arsenal’s Twitter was abuzz with opinions from the various YouTube compilations that people rushed to watch. The consensus, as I remember it, was that he was talented but he was a little raw. He maybe he played with his head down too often.
I know it’s just one game, but I didn’t see anything like that in his performance against FC Zurich. To me, it seemed like the kind of display that had been “trained” well and truly. I’m sure they’ve worked a lot in training camp with him, and he’ll develop in training anyway, but one goal and one assist, even if you take into account the caliber of the opposition, which is a bit below from Premier League level, it was an excellent comeback. Not least for the quality of his run and finish, and Eddie’s delivery of the winner.
Like I said, we’re going to need the full depth of our team next month and at the very least Marquinhos will get chances in European games. I’m interested to see what else you can offer.
Right, that’s your batch for this morning. We’ve got a Premier League preview podcast on Patreon for you, previewing tomorrow’s Brentford game. Have a great Saturday folks.
