Arsène Wenger has revealed that Arsenal are undergoing an overhaul of the club’s training and medical practices in an attempt to tackle their recurring injury problems.
The latest double blow was the loss of Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta to respective hamstring and calf injuries, with Wenger admitting on Tuesday that he was “shocked” and still unable to explain the sudden loss of such two key players for the Champions League tie against Galatasaray on Wednesday night.
Supporters have been asking for several years why Arsenal so often seem to be derailed by injuries and, after the Premier League title push last season ultimately ended after the loss of Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Mesut Özil,
Wenger has acted. He said that a “long” list of changes had been implemented but that nothing was off limits in terms of the analysis. That includes his own methods, as well as even the playing surface at the Emirates Stadium
Asked if the pitch was maybe too hard, Wenger said: “Could be. You don’t rule anything out. Even if we look at it you have to play on the pitch until the end of the season.”
Arsenal are privately confident that their pitch is not the problem, with Wenger’s focus more on the preparation and work-load of players.
As well as Ramsey and Arteta, Olivier Giroud, Nacho Monreal, Walcott, Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Debuchy are all sidelined.
Kieran Gibbs has also experienced further muscular problems this year, while recent seasons have been perhaps fatally undermined by a variety of injuries to key players such as Thomas Vermaelen, Ramsey, Bacary Sagna, Walcott, Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie.
Statistical data on comparative injury records is generally disputed by the clubs but the website physioroom.comhas attempted to provide some comparative context.
Their research found that Arsenal were without first-team players last season for longer than any club at a combined 1,716 days.
By contrast, Chelsea were said to be without key players for 556 days, while champions Manchester City and runners-up Liverpool endured a similar injury toll of, respectively, 978 and 997 days lost.
Physioroom.com’s research for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons also showed that Arsenal were among the seven worst affected clubs in each of those campaigns.
The most obvious change at Arsenal has been the appointment of Shad Forsythe as the new head of athletic performance enhancement.
Forsythe had spent the past decade working with the German national teamand has already made a series of recommendations.
Wenger is also overseeing plans for a multimillion-pound upgrade to Arsenal’s training base that would include a new athletic development centre and additional space for offices and analysis.
“We made a lot of changes,” Wenger said. “We have not found out why it happened.”
Asked what specifically had been changed, he said: “In the way we prepare, in the way we work on prevention for injuries. We know a lot more than 18 years ago than when I arrived but still not enough to predict 100 per cent scientifically what happens to everybody. We promise to find a good balance between the strength and flexibility.”
A specific investigation into Ramsey’s most recent injury has been commissioned.
“We are getting a report on all the different opinions,” Wenger said. “It’s a real concern. It’s a similar case to Kieran [Gibbs]. He’s a guy who has huge physical potential but you need to feel that you trust your body.”
Wenger then explained how the avoidance of injuries is fundamental in the development of players. A prime example is Gibbs who, according to Wenger, has the potential to emulate Ashley Cole’s stellar career.
“Kieran looks to me that he’s going into second gear now and he realises that he can trust his body, he can trust his talent. With Ashley Cole, for a long time was no discussion who would be England left-back. Now it’s a bit more open. He [Gibbs] has such a great potential now if he just lets it go. He can dribble as well. He was a winger.
"I think what doesn’t help is when you’re in and out because of his injuries. You need a consistent presence in the team. We sometimes forget that the first quality of a good player is health.”
With Chelsea looming on Sunday, Wenger is unlikely to risk Wilshere’s ankle from the start on Wednesday night against a Galatasaray team who have begun unusually slowly in the Turkish league and will be searching for their win on English soil in 10 attempts.
After defeat in Dortmund, Wenger regards winning the home group fixtures as critical to his team’s chances of making the knockout phase but believes that ultimately winning the tournament has become more difficult.
“The concentration of the big players in a short number of clubs is much more than it was,” he said.
“The outcome of the Champions League is much more predictable than it was 10 years ago. I don’t think that we are one of the four who will be favourites to win it but football is strange and not always predictable.”
