Training pics = Fitness boost?

Morning all.

Coaching photos emerged yesterday and whereas we will’t glean an enormous quantity from nonetheless photographs, the truth that sure gamers are concerned is a optimistic factor. We’ve added to the squad this summer season, however there are some present members who will give us actual depth and high quality in the event that they’re absolutely match and concerned.

Kieran Tierney is in there, and we all know he’s in all probability just a little means off 100%. He had knee surgical procedure in April, and clearly they aren’t dashing him again. His involvement in pre-season video games has been minimal, and that’s utterly comprehensible on the subject of a participant who has been a bit brittle throughout his time right here. With Oleksandr Zinchenko now accessible, and Nuno Tavares nonetheless right here regardless of discuss of a transfer to Atalanta, it’s not as if we’re in need of choices in his place.

He turned 25 in June, and this looks like an enormous season for him. His high quality will not be in query for me, and I believe final season was the perfect we’ve seen from him defensively, however there are at all times going to be query marks over somebody who misses a major chunk of each season attributable to damage. I do marvel if that is half and parcel of why there’s obvious warning over bringing him again, however we’ve seen up to now how gamers who’ve suffered a number of niggles and absences of their early 20s can come by means of that.

The 2 I can consider most clearly are Robin van Persie and Gael Clichy, who have been each out and in of the remedy room season after season, however as soon as they acquired to their mid-20s, settled down on the damage entrance and have become rather more common. Hopefully the identical applies to KT and as soon as he will get match this season, he stays match. There’s a lengthy season forward, and hopefully one which goes deep into Europe and all that meaning for our schedule, so having him accessible shall be so necessary.

Additionally noticed, blurred within the background, is Takehiro Tomiyasu who has actually struggled since January of this 12 months. Having been an absolute sensation within the first half of final season, he suffered calf accidents, then when he did come again late on, performed just a few video games earlier than he picked up a hamstring pressure. In 2022, he appeared in simply 6 of the 20 video games we performed, and having turn into essential in a short time, it was a blow to overlook him.

Like Tierney, I believe that is one the place we’ve got the flexibility to make sure he’s correctly match. I’m not an enormous fan of Cedric at proper again, I believe the hole in high quality and elegance is just too massive between him and Tomi, however he’s just about at all times accessible. Nonetheless, the return of William Saliba implies that he can slot in at centre-half alongside Gabriel, which then permits Ben White to play at proper again. He’s way more analogous to Tomiyasu in that place, and I believe (and hope) that’s one thing we’d see fairly a bit till the Japan worldwide is absolutely match. Full backs are necessary cogs in Mikel Arteta’s engine, and whereas our difficulties final season centred extra round goalscoring and the absence of Thomas Partey through the run-in, there’s no query we weren’t defensively as strong with out Tomiyasu and Tierney.

Additional ahead, one other participant who struggled through the second half of final season – Emile Smith Rowe. He’s there within the coaching photos, and once more we’re not urgently in want so long as Gabriel Martinelli stays match for that left-hand facet. I believe he might have achieved with out the England U21 obligation this summer season, the place he made three appearances in ten days, however it’s what it’s.

It’s exhausting to not assume his damage issues have come from being plucked from relative obscurity again in December 2020, and turning into such an necessary a part of the crew so shortly. He spoke himself about taking good care of his food regimen and issues like that, however at 19 years of age he went from not taking part in very a lot in any respect, to taking part in nearly each week. At a time when he was nonetheless maturing bodily, I believe we’re seeing the consequence of that with the persistent muscular niggles he’s having to cope with.

The 5 subs rule this season implies that a health plan on the coaching floor will be coupled with some aggressive minutes to construct him again as much as the place he must be, and after a season when he acquired 10 targets and a few assists, having a productive participant like him again within the fold shall be actually necessary.

The participant we haven’t actually talked about but is Fabio Vieira, and after the Chelsea recreation, Arteta stated:

I believe he wants one other week or so earlier than he begins with the crew however he’s been working exhausting and he’s been actually unfortunate to start out his Arsenal profession on this means however once more he’s becoming in effectively.

With a 5 recreation run till the primary Interlull of the season, it’d be good to see him again and concerned. We’ve but to have our first impression of him as an Arsenal participant, one thing we’ve had with different new arrivals throughout pre-season, in order that’s one thing to sit up for.

Proper, that’s your lot for this morning. Information all through the day on Arseblog News, and extra from me right here tomorrow.