It’s morning everyone.
Interlull It’s Saturday so not much happens. There are a few Arsenal players playing today, I hope they play well and stay healthy. I think I have something to say about that.
Yesterday we saw information circulating about Martin Odegaard’s frustration, which understandably upset everyone. My understanding is that this is not the case and he is staying on schedule. The question is, what is that schedule? It’s not clear at this point, and I don’t expect it to be.
I know some people are a bit frustrated with Mikel Arteta’s reluctance to reveal a bit more about player injuries and the duration, but I understand that. First, it creates unnecessary drama if it’s specific and the player misses that date. Recovery is medical/scientific and not always accurate. The athlete may experience a setback or adjust or feel something during the rehabilitation process. The human body is an unpredictable thing at times, so it makes sense to be a little vague about the situation.
And then there’s Arteta’s reluctance to reveal any kind of information that could be useful to the opposition. I don’t think there’s really any major benefit to doing this, but it’s how he feels most comfortable operating and what he’s done since arriving at Arsenal has been overwhelmingly positive, so leave him alone. I also think there are privacy considerations when reporting intentional injuries is not as specific as it used to be.
Compare and contrast the official website’s coverage of the two players with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. First, here is Hector Bellerin in 2019:
In addition to the injury suffered in Saturday’s game against Chelsea, Hector has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
And Mohamed Elneny in 2023:
After sustaining an injury in a recent training session, a follow-up assessment confirmed that Mohamed Elneny had suffered a serious injury to his right knee.
Same injury, different information. The club therefore has a clear policy regarding providing information about player injuries. They want to be as quiet as possible. On the other hand, there are fans who desperately want to know when someone will return, and for a player like Odegaard it would be comforting to know whether it will be in two, four or six weeks. More than a few weeks. But when you say 4 weeks and it turns out to be 6 weeks, people lose their minds and there is official ‘silence’ (not speaking, so to speak).
That’s why I rarely trust anyone with information about players. Some reports can be taken as absolute gospel, while others should be taken with a grain of salt. I’m not saying there’s nothing out there that’s accurate, but overall I think this is the best position we can have on this.
Elsewhere, Celtic fans appear thrilled to see pictures of Kieran Tierney and Brendan Rodgers attending a charity event. It wouldn’t be surprising if he went back there on loan in January. That’s based on absolutely no information, by the way. It’s just a hunch. He suffered a serious injury over the summer and is yet to fully recover, and at the moment his position in the left-back rankings is too low for him to play.
So it makes sense to take out a loan somewhere in January. He needs to prove he can stay fit and play regularly before anyone will seriously consider making a permanent bid for him, and returning ‘home’ would certainly make him feel comfortable and hopefully get his career back on track. It will be an environment where you can raise your voice. . I think that’s one thing to keep an eye on.
Finally, if you’re looking for Arsenal’s fix today, there’s their match against Chelsea in the WSL at the Emirates this afternoon. If you’re in the area, the game will also be broadcast on BBC1. Tim’s preview is here.. Good luck!
Okay, let’s leave it there for now. Whatever you do, have a great Saturday.
