In the buildup to Arsenal’s latest clash against Chelsea, it was only normal for the media chums to ask the manager about the injury situation of his players. Per Mertesacker was ’50/50′ to play the game but the BFG made a swift recovery and started ahead of Gabriel Paulista alongside his defensive bosom buddy, Laurent Koscielny. The duo went on to have a great game and Mertesacker lauded the much-maligned Arsenal medical staff for his swift recovery.
When Arsene Wenger was asked about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, his response didn’t offer any glimmer of hope,
“He’s still out. He has not been in training and he’s not being considered at all”
This has been a fruitful season for the Ox. Since signing for the club in 2012, he has played a bit-part role, featuring against ‘lesser opposition’ and cup ties but he usually got extended run-puts when a first team player suffers an injury layoff. This season, the Ox has gotten consistent game time and he has really improved as a player. He has even added goals to his game with a goal in the North London derby, as well as two strikes in the Champions League against Anderlecht and Monaco.
Ox’s last game for the club came in the 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford and he was instrumental in the first goal where he made mince meat of his markers before threading a ball to Nacho Monreal that wasted no time in executing a finish that matched the buildup. However, things went awry for Alex as he pulled his hamstring and was diagnosed to be missing in action for three to four weeks. While we awaiting some hopeful news for the Ox at the start of the new month, the Daily Mail published an article that he suffered a set back and could miss the rest of the campaign due to some persistent groin injuries that has troubled the winger for a while.
According to the article, Arsenal’s medical staff have been aware of this niggling groin troubles and the club might resort to surgery or other alternatives to sort out his problems. but if the club is to take the option of making the Ox go under the knife, it would be done in the summer. Thankfully, there’s no senior European tournament this summer so he can get some deserved rest and recuperate well. The root cause of the complaint remains unclear, with club doctors trying to establish a permanent cure for the problem.
The winger has vowed to come back strongly,
“Saying that, we have done well with the Arsenal and England physios to keep me on the pitch as long as they did. All the injuries I had picked up throughout my career had been contact injuries – the odd kick or roll of the ankle – until this knee injury.
“You do have to sometimes step back and realize that for the whole of my life I had never been out for that much of my career from the age of seven up to the age of 20. I had never been out of football for five months in my whole life.
“Your body does take some adjusting to that and to come back from that and play at the level we play at with the demands that we put on ourselves – the training and how intense the game can be but since this injury on the knee, that has changed, and I think that is what a lot of players will find during their careers.
“You just have to do as much as you can to keep yourself right. I have been doing everything and more at the moment to try to make sure I come back stronger.”
Since that long-term injury the Ox suffered after a challenge from Antonio Luna in the curtain raiser of the Premier League last season, he has had a couple of niggling injuries but he’s a young lad and he has his career ahead of him.
I wish the Ox a speedy recovery.
Sayonara.
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